y much as though our 'Red Rover' were at the bottom
of the lake, Jane. Oh, what shall we do if she has sunk? Something has
been going on here. Something occurred the first day we were here, to
excite my suspicion. And now this strange thing has happened. There's
the rowboat. Let's go out and look around. Oh, this is too bad, too
bad!"

CHAPTER II

CRAZY JANE MAKES A DISCOVERY

"Wait!"

Jane sprang forward, and grasping the rope, lifted it from the water and
began hauling in on it. She uttered a shout of joy.

"There's no 'Red Rover' on the other end of this rope, Harriet," she
cried.

"Then it has broken away and sunk," answered Harriet gloomily. "Let's
get into the rowboat and go out yonder."

"In a minute. I want to see what is at the other end of this rope,
Harriet, dear. There's nothing like beginning at the right end. This is
the right end; after we get the rope in we will move on to the other
end. We may have to dive, but you and I know how to do that, don't we
darlin'?"

Harriet nodded. The long rope came in dripping, so cold to the touch as
to make Jane's fingers numb.

"There!" exclaimed Jane, slamming the rope down on the wharf. "There's
the old thing. Didn't I tell you there was no 'Red Rover' on the end of
it."

"Then we had better take to the rowboat. I don't understand this at
all," said Harriet, in a troubled voice.

"Just a minute, Harriet. Will you look at this and tell Jane McCarthy
the meaning of it?" She extended the end of the rope toward Harriet. The
latter took it, permitting the dripping rope to lie across the palm of
one hand for a minute. Harriet glanced up at her companion with troubled
eyes.

"Do you know what has been done to it?" asked Harriet.

"I think so," nodded Jane.

"The rope has been cut," reflected Harriet.

"It has," agreed Jane.

"But, who could have done such a thing?" Harriet wondered.

"If I knew, I'd make him suffer for this piece of work," retorted Jane.

"I don't know; I can't even think," answered Harriet solemnly. "What do
you suppose has become of the boat, Jane?"

"Goodness knows," replied Jane.

"I'm going to search the lake." Harriet ran around the end of the pier,
where, shoving off the rowboat, she leaped in. Jane followed her. "I'm
going to the west. The wind is blowing that way."

Jane McCarthy nodded understandingly. Harriet was rowing, Jane sitting
in the stern of the boat.

"Watch the shore, Jane. I will do the rowing. I a