be the canoe isn't lost," suggested Hiram Driggs.

"What do you mean, Mr. Driggs?" cried Laura, turning to him quickly.

"Is there any way of bringing the canoe up again?" asked Belle
Meade eagerly.

"There may be," Driggs replied quietly. "I'm going to have a
try at it anyway."

"All aboard that are going back to the dock," called the helmsman
of the launch, who was also her owner.

Laura turned upon him with flashing eyes.

"I don't believe there is anyone going," she said. "We wouldn't
leave here anyway, while there's a chance that the high school
boys can get their canoe back to the surface of the water. You
needn't wait, Mr. Morton. When we're ready we can walk the rest
of the way."

CHAPTER VIII

WHAT AN EXPERT CAN DO

"I don't say that I can surely raise the canoe," Mr. Driggs made
haste to state, "or that it will be worth the trouble if we do
raise it. That canoe may have sunk on river-bottom rocks, and
she may be badly staved by this time. But I've sent one of my
men to fire the scow engine, and I'm going out to see what can
be done in the matter."

"And may we wait here?" asked Laura Bentley, full of eagerness.

"Certainly, young ladies."

"Oh, that's just fine of you, Mr. Driggs," cried Belle Meade.

Smoke soon began to pour out of the short funnel of the working
engine on the boatyard scow. It was a clumsy-looking craft---a
mere floating platform, with engine, propeller, tiller and a derrick
arrangement, but it had done a lot of good work at and about the
boatyard.

"You want to get aboard the scow now, boys," called Mr. Driggs.
"If we do anything real out yonder I'll have need of some willing
muscle."

"Can't some of the girls go, too?" called a feminine voice. "We're
all dreadfully anxious, you know."

Hiram pursed up his mouth, as though reluctant. Then he proposed,
grudgingly:

"A committee of two girls might go, if they're sure they'll keep
out of the way when we're working. Just two! Which of the young
ladies ought we to take, Mr. Prescott?"

"Why, I believe Miss Bentley and Miss Meade will be as satisfactory
a committee as can be chosen," Dick smiled.

Some of the girls frowned their disappointment at being left out,
but others clapped their hands. Laura and Belle stepped on the
scow's platform.

"I wouldn't try to go, if I were you, Dan," urged. Dick, as young
Dalzell stepped forward to board the scow.

"I'm all right," Dan insisted.

"Sure you're