Laura Lee Hope

“ Oh, I just love Prince! He's the finest horse!"
"I'm afraid of horses," confessed Amy.
"I'm not!" declared Betty, who was fond of all sports, and who had fully earned her title of "Little Captain," which she was often called. "Some day I'm going to prevail on daddy to get me one."
"I should think you'd rather have an auto," spoke Mollie.
"I may, some day," murmured Betty. "But hurry along, Grace. It looks as though it might storm. We'll save some of the candy for you." ”

“ Billy was Mollie's "chummy" name.
"That's so," admitted Grace. "And Mollie didn't guess right. I beg your pardon, Mollie. It's so warm, and the prickly heat bothers me so that I can hardly think of anything but that I'm going in and get some talcum powder. I've got some of the loveliest scent—the Yamma-yamma flower from Japan."
"It sounds nice," murmured Betty. "But, girls——"
"Excuse me," murmured Grace, making a struggle to arise from the hammock—never a graceful feat for girl or woman.
"Don't! You'll spill me!" screamed Betty, clutching at the yielding sides of the net. "Grace! There!" ”

“ Then they laughed, as a bird flew out.
"Our nerves are not what they should be," said Betty. "We must calm down. I wonder did we get any pickles?"
"I saw him put some in," spoke Grace.
"Then let's have supper, and we'll go out for a ride on the lake afterward," suggested Betty.
"Maybe the ghost will carry off our camp," remarked Amy.
"Don't you dare let Aunt Kate hear you say that or she'll run away!" cried Betty. "Come on, everyone help get supper, and we'll be through early," and, gaily humming she began to set the table that stood under a canvas shelter in front of the big tent. ”

“ Grace went on.
"I have citronella, and there are mosquito nettings over the bunks," said Betty. "Don't worry."
They went back to the boat, and the lanterns were lighted.
"Oh, doesn't it look too nice to sleep in!" exclaimed Amy, as they gazed into the little cabin, with its tastefully arranged berths.
"I'm tired enough to sleep on almost anything," yawned Mollie. "Let's see who'll be the first to——"
"Not snore, I hope!" exclaimed Betty.
"Don't suggest such a thing," came from Amy. "We are none of us addicted to the luxury." ”

“ Again Mollie dived. She had practiced the trick of opening her eyes under water, and this time she looked carefully over the sunken canoe. She stayed under her full limit, and when she came up she was panting for breath.
"You must not stay under so long," warned Betty.
"There—are—a—lot—of—stones," gasped Mollie. "But I think we can do it," she added a moment later.
"I'll see what I can do," spoke Betty. She was a good swimmer and diver, perhaps not so brilliant a performer as Mollie, but with more staying qualities. ”

“ You may expect the surprise shortly.'
"That's all there is to it," concluded Betty, "and I've been puzzling my brains as to just what the surprise may be."
"He's going to take you on a voyage," said Amy.
"He's bought you some toy ship," was the opinion of Mollie.
"Oh, if he'd only bring a real boat that we could make real a trip in!" sighed Grace. "That would be lovely!"
"Betty Nelson! Write to your uncle right away!" commanded Mollie, "and find out exactly what he means."
"I can't," sighed Betty. "He's traveling, and one never knows where he is. We'll just have to wait. ”

“ Mollie seized the crank, which, by means of a long shaft and sprocket chain, extending from the after cabin bulkhead to the flywheel, revolved that. She gave it a vigorous turn. There was no welcome response of throbbing explosions in the cylinders.
"Try again!" gasped Betty. "Oh, all of you try. I simply can't leave the wheel."
The steamer was now sending out a concert of sharp, staccato blasts. Plainly she was saying, loudly:
"Get out of my way! I have the right of the river! You must get out of my way! I can't avoid you!"
"Why don't they stop?" wailed Grace. ”

“ AT RAINBOW LAKE
Once the Gem was securely tied—and Betty now made sure of this—the tired and rather chilly girls adjourned to the cabin, and under the lights had the hot chocolate Aunt Kate and Amy had made.
"It's delicious!" spoke Betty. "I feel so much better now."
"We must never let on to the boys that we came near running down a steamer," said Grace. "We'd never hear the last of it."
"But we didn't nearly run down a steamer—she came toward us," insisted Betty, not willing to have her seamanship brought into question. ”

“ Then the work of getting ready for the night, washing the dishes, preparing the bunks, and so on, was divided among the five, though Aunt Kate wanted the girls to go ashore and let her attend to everything.
"We'll take a little walk ashore after we have everything ready," suggested Betty. The stroll along the river bank in the cool of the evening, while the colors of the glorious sunset were still in the sky, was most enjoyable.
"Gracious! A mosquito bit me!" exclaimed Grace, as she rubbed the back of her slim, white hand.
"That isn't a capital crime," laughed Mollie. ”

“ What would be the fun of having bunks if we didn't use them? Of course we'll sleep here."
"And stand watches--and all that sort of thing, the way your uncle told of it being done aboard ships?" Mollie wanted to know.
"There'll be no need of that," declared Betty. "But we can leave a light burning."
"To scare away sharks?" asked Amy, with a laugh.
"No, but if we didn't some one passing might think the boat deserted and—come aboard to take things."
"I hope they don't take us!" cried Mollie. "I'm going to hide my new bracelet," and she looked at the sparkling trinket on her wrist. ”

“ Grace and Betty looked anxiously at one another.
"She is——" began Betty.
Mollie flashed into sight like a seal.
"I—I found something!" she panted.
"Did you strike bottom?" asked Betty.
"Almost. But that's all right. I'm going down again. There is something down there. Maybe it's the ghost!"
"Oh, do be careful!' cautioned Betty, but Mollie was already in the water. She was longer this time coming up, and Betty was getting nervous. Then Mollie shot into view. ”

“ Getting up from a hammock—or doing anything vigorous, for that matter—was always a serious business with quick Mollie. She generally warned her friends not to "stand too close."
"Never mind, here comes Grace," interrupted Amy. "Do sit still, Mollie; it's too warm to juggle—or is it jiggle?—around so."
"Make it wiggle," suggested Betty.
"Do hurry, Grace," called Mollie. "We can't hear about the grand surprise until you get here, and we're both just dying to know what it is."
"I couldn't find my chocolates," said Grace, as she strolled gracefully up, making the most of her slender figure. ”

“ They were alone on Elm Island, save for an occasional picnic party, several evidently having been there the day before.
"Then that—thing—couldn't have been a cow," said Grace, positively.
"Make up a new theory," suggested Betty, with a laugh. "One thing, though, we're not going to let it drive us away; are we—not away from our camp?"
The others did not answer for a moment, and then Mollie exclaimed:
"I'm going to stay—for one."
"So am I!" declared Aunt Kate, vigorously. "A light will keep whatever animal it is away, and I'm sure it was that. Of course we'll stay!" ”

“ I'll never cut business for a ball game again, and I'll do all I can to help out. I'm sure Prince will soon come home, though, and it will be all right. I'll go out to the stable now, and if he isn't there I'll saddle Toto and go hunting. I'll start from where the accident happened, and trace Prince. Lucky he's pure white; he'll show up well, even in the dark."
"No, I don't want you to do that," objected Mr. Ford. "You may go to the stable, if you like, but don't start any search until morning. In the meanwhile we may hear something, or he may come back. It's too bad a night to go out. ”

“ A second later she bobbed up, shaking her head to rid her eyes of water.
"That was lovely!" cried Grace.
"Did I splash much?"
"Not at all."
"It's real deep there," said Mollie. "Some day I'm going to try to touch bottom."
The girls splashed about, refreshing themselves after the race. Then came calm evening, when they sat on deck and ate supper prepared by Aunt Kate.
Now you girls just sit right still and enjoy yourselves," she told them, when they insisted on helping. "You don't win motor boat races every day, and you're entitled to a banquet." ”

“ Oh, well, I think I can out-race the storm," and Grace laughed.
She found that she really would have to race when, a little later, out on the main road, the distant rumble of thunder was heard.
"Come, Prince!" she called. "We must see what we can do. Your best foot foremost, old fellow!" The horse whinnied in answer, and swung into an easy gallop that covered the ground well. ”

“ Really, it's too warm to do more than drift to-day."
"You finished the last of the candy yourself!" exclaimed Grace, with spirit. If Grace had one failing, or a weakness, it was for chocolates.
"I did not!" snapped Mollie. Her own failing was an occasional burst of temper. She had French blood in her veins—and not of French lilac shade, either, as Betty used to say. It was of no uncertain color—was Mollie's temper—at times. ”

“ Just then a clock chimed out eight strokes, in four sections of two strokes each.
"Eight o'clock!" exclaimed Amy. "Your timepiece must be wrong, Betty. It's nearer noon than eight."
"That's eight bells—twelve o'clock," said the pretty hostess, with a laugh. "That's a new marine clock Uncle Amos gave me for the Gem. It keeps time just as it is done on shipboard."
"And when it's eight o'clock it's twelve," murmured Grace. "Do you have to do subtraction and addition every time the clock strikes?" ”

“ Those boys will be so glad to get it back."
"But can we lift out the heavy stones?" asked Amy, in considerable doubt.
"Of course we can. You know any object is much lighter in water than out of it, we learned that in physics class, you remember. The water buoys it up. You can move a much heavier stone under water than you could if the same stone was on land. We can all try."
"I never could stay under water long enough to get out even one stone," declared Grace.
"Nor I," added Amy.
"I'll try," spoke Betty—she was always willing to try—"but I'm afraid I can't be of much help, Mollie. ”

“ Betty slid open the door, and there stood Will and Frank, with Paul between them. The boys looked sheepish—the child expectant.
"I ought to put you two in irons," spoke Betty, but with a smile. "I believe that is what is done with stowaways."
"Couldn't you ship us before the mast?" asked Will, with a chuckle. "That is the very latest manner of dealing with gentlemen who are unexpectedly carried off on a cruise." ”