battered and worn, but amply able, as was soon proved, to carry
all the girls and their belongings at a single load.

"Thought you wasn't coming," said the old sailor who owned the launch,
as he helped them to get settled aboard.

"We missed the first connecting train and had to wait, Mr. Salters,"
said Eleanor. "I hope you didn't sell the fish and clams you promised
us to someone else?"

"No, indeed," said old Salters. "They're waitin' for you at the camp,
ma'am, and I fixed up the place, too, all shipshape. The tents is all
ready, though why anyone should sleep in such contraptions when they can
have a comfortable house is more'n I can guess."

"Each to his taste, you know," laughed Eleanor. "I suppose we'll be able
to get you to take us out in the launch sometimes while we're here?"

"Right, ma'am! As often as you like," he answered. "My old boat here
ain't fashionable enough for some of the folk, but she's seaworthy, and
she won't get stuck a mile an' a half from nowhere, the way Harry Semmes
and that new fangled boat of his done the other day when he had a load
of young ladies aboard."

He chuckled at the recollection. But while he had been talking he had
not been idle, and the _Sally S._, as his launch was called, had been
making slow but steady progress until she was outside the cove and
headed north. Soon, too, he ran her inside the protecting spot of land
of which Dolly had spoken to Bessie, and they were in such smooth water
that, even had any of them had any tendency toward seasickness, there
would have been no excuse for it.

In half an hour he stopped the engine, and cast his anchor overboard. He
wore no shoes and stockings, and now, rolling up his trousers, he jumped
overboard.

"Hand me the dunnage first," he said. "I'll get that ashore, and then
I'll take the rest of you, one at a time."

"Indeed you won't," laughed Eleanor. "We're not afraid of getting our
feet wet. Come on, girls, it's only two feet deep! Roll up your skirts
and take off your shoes and stockings, and we'll wade ashore."

She set the example, and in a very short time they were all safely
ashore, with much laughter at the splashing that was involved.

"Mr. Salters could run the _Sally S._ ashore, but it would be a lot of
trouble to get her afloat again, and this is the way we always do here.
It's lots of fun really," Eleanor explained.

Soon they were all ashore, and inspecting the camp which had been laid
out in preparatio