long, but even at that
the boat frequently bumped into the bank. Reaching the lake, she paused
to look and listen. Not more than ten rods above she saw lights on the
shore of the island and a light on the water. A motor boat chugged a few
times, the plash of an oar followed, then more shouts.

"I simply must find out what is going on there," muttered Harriet. "I
wonder if it can be--Yes, I'll row a little further along. No one will
see me unless I get within range of the lanterns there."

Taking careful note of the entrance to their secret creek that she might
recognize the spot when she returned, Harriet crept to the stern of the
rowboat and using one oar as a paddle propelled the boat through the
water as quietly as possible.

As she neared the scene of activity the voices of the newcomers grew
louder. Harriet finally ceased paddling and permitted her boat to drift,
steering well into the shadows, hugging the shore of the island until
she could touch it with an oar. Unless she splashed with the oar, she
was reasonably certain of being able to avoid discovery. The
Meadow-Brook girl was now within a few yards of where the operations
were going on. Her eyes were fixed on the outlines of a launch in which
two persons appeared to be working, when all at once and with a
suddenness that nearly brought a cry to her lips, a canoe shot out of
the shadows directly ahead of her and sped noiselessly out into the
lake. The girl did not even remember to have seen any one in the canoe
so quickly had it appeared and disappeared. She wondered, too, at the
skill that enabled one to paddle without noise. A gentle ripple--the
wake of the canoe--splashed against the bows of her own boat.

"Surely, I am not dreaming," whispered the girl. "I must have startled
the man. Who could it have been, and is it possible that he has been
here watching us?" A number of surmises entered the mind of Harriet
Burrell. She collected her thoughts quickly and held her boat with the
oar, for she was drifting perilously close to the launch. She was now in
plain sight of the campers on shore. She could hear every word that was
uttered there.

Harriet listened for fully fifteen minutes. All at once, she swung the
rowboat about, leaning her body to one side to assist in the turning.
The second oar that had been laid across the seats lengthwise of the
boat rolled to the other side with a rumble and a clatter that to her
strained nerves sounded like thunder.