ugh alongside the Blowell to permit of conversation.

"Nice little island," answered Cleo. "I guess picnickers like it there."

"I fancy not," replied the young man. "Folks are not invited over there,
I understand."

"Why?" questioned Eugenia, who was interested in the kindergarten effort
discovered on the island.

"Nobody knows and nobody cares," he replied, using the words of the
latest popular song.

"We're going back there some day," declared Grace. "Found signs and
things never left there by the Indians."

"Indians live there yet, I should think," replied Neal, turning on some
more gas to keep up with the pace the Blowell was making.

"What's the name of that island, do you know?" called Grace.

"Surely," he replied, with a laugh in his boyish voice. "That's the
famous Luna Land!"

CHAPTER XVI

THE BAREFOOT GIRLS

"LOOK! Look!" shrieked Grace. "That's Luna Land!"

"Oh, isn't that too stupid!" added Cleo, almost in dismay. "To think we
were wandering around there and didn't know it."

"But how were we fooled?" asked Julia, also showing signs of keen
disappointment.

"Don't you see we went in on the other side," explained Helen. "That's
the pocket and just as I thought we were in the old hip pocket. Isn't
that too mean!"

Eugenia and Mae were now made aware of the girls' eager expectations for
a trip to that island, and when every one had finally been convinced
that the trip had really been made without the least suspicion of its
consummation, there seemed nothing to do but demand a good laugh from
the odd occurrence.

All stood up to watch the very last speck of green, as Luna Land
disappeared, and only the added interest and anxiety, consequent upon
their delay, and the need to hasten back to the waiting home folks,
tended to break the spell.

"To have actually been on that island!" repeated Grace, trying to
realize it.

"And to have gathered signs there," put in Cleo. "Glad I took them
along, although I did so unconsciously."

"We must have a troop meeting to-morrow," said Margaret. "This alters
everything."

"I think it simply turns on the gasoline," remarked Grace. "Now, we know
something about Looney Land."

Neal was leading in his new launch, and the Blowell followed as proudly
as if nothing had occurred to spoil her trip. It was almost dark, but
not quite, as the long summer evening stayed and over-stayed, to the
benefit of the belated sailors.

"There's Leonore and Ben,