instant they
stepped out into the rear cockpit. They were picked up an instant
afterwards, only to be hurled against the deck house by a second wave.
Neither girl screamed; for a moment or two they were too nearly drowned
to speak. The rear end of the boat being driven up on the shore, the
forward end lay several inches lower. The lower deck in that part of the
boat was entirely under water.

"What are we going to do about it?" gasped Jane finally.

Harriet was groping about on the deck, her head under water a good part
of the time.

"I've found it," she cried.

"Found what?" demanded Miss McCarthy.

"The cleats."

"Well, what are they?"

"Maybe our last hope. Climb up to the top. I'll tell you my plan."

Jane lost no time in getting up where the rest of the party were dancing
about the deck, trying their best to get warm, and succeeding but
poorly.

"Harriet, don't you think we had better go ashore?" asked Miss Elting.

"You will be little better off there. But wait. Yes, the very thing. I
was going to use that awning for something else. It is the only dry
thing on the boat. Come, Jane; we'll do the best we can under the
circumstances."

Together the two girls got down the awning, which had once served them
as a tent. Assisted by Miss Elting they lugged it ashore and placing it
back far enough to be out of reach of the water, smoothed it out on the
ground. This would at least furnish them with a place to sleep. By this
time Tommy, Hazel and Margery had made their way ashore.

"How I wish we had some matches now! I'd build a fire. Jane, do you
think that box of matches could have kept dry through all this?"
questioned Harriet.

"It wouldn't do you any good if it had. How are you going to find it if
it is there?"

"That's so. Now, I think we had better take all the things out of the
cabin. Most of the stuff may be gone by morning. Miss Elting, will you
stay with the girls?" asked Harriet. "Then they won't feel afraid.
Besides we shall only be in each other's way if more than two of us try
to work in that cabin in the dark. The first thing to be done is to try
to stop the water from beating in through that wrecked doorway. I have
an idea. Jane, see if you can find some rope. There should be some on
the upper deck."

Jane McCarthy reported that there was no rope there. Harriet decided to
go on without it, believing that she knew a way to check the flood.
Calling Jane to assist her, the two girls carri