The Motor Girls on Cedar Lake The Hermit of Fern Island

he rowboat of Jim Pet

d in it we

aying, "I can't see why we should pay you a quart

st alongside the d

We are here, waiting for you

e. "Glad to see you girls-never gladder to

eplied Cora. "My! We

ter. "Some one stole our canoe and l

Ben, "didn't

if you went all the way," growled Jim Peter

Ben, in a joking sort of tone. "Wasn't i

had stepped down to the seat in

t man stole their

he would be your enemy. Just make a joke of it, and I'll tell you more later," and Ben

," said Jack to the boatman, "I h

gh voice. "I'm not goin' to leave my work to t

assured him, "and so will the fellow

trick. Hello Bess, also howdy Belle. My, isn't it fine t

ere's a stranger ab

this is

ted the man at the w

Cora. "Only for him we should nev

would soon have had to swim back to the island. We never could hav

, as the old rowboat was

alin' her now,"

?" all aske

ied Ben, as he turned over the fly wheel and C

er into the matter of the leaking boat, but Cora did not fail to notice that the craft must have "leake

to get out of the way of something-we are not yet sure whether it was man or beast. Th

y idea who took

to sleep out of doors to-night," threa

ack of Jim Peter's rowboat that afternoon. Cora was convinced that Ben kne

" asked Cora. "I thought you were going

nswered her brother. "We had a very

us to run her?" asked Ed.

a beauty," replied the old man. "If I had one that could go

s would earn its own

ou like to, Ben. It g

sisters," finished B

carcely able yet to draw a free breath-her anxiety had been to

s not me-I am still on the Robinson ranch-there, that was an unpremeditated pun; I mean the

ter, "what do you say

camp beaten t

e, cost money, and our camp is rented to us for the season. Oh fickle W

Cora before Ed had fin

s irresistible w

," said Jack, "this

are in no hurry, Ben,

ere we haven't been.

r La

ed as they would wish to have been, it was evening on the wa

egan Ed, not being able to dismiss t

ly. "There was a great fleet on the lake to-day

" declared Jack grimly, "he will grow up qu

e at this here lake. So take my advice an' go slow. Every one here goes slow, and it's the best way. If you suspicion a fell

ame, Ben, I think that's first-rate advice. It saves us much trouble and that's th

same, there is them that can't be otherwise dealt with, and when the time's ripe I'd-help

our man we'll all help you, and when we

nvariably turned out prophetic-

denly. "He's lookin' fer me. Hey there, Dan! What's up?" he cr

ck Dan. "Come up to the

mer to gain more speed

as they headed for Center Landing. "He's there

t something. No sooner had the motor boat come up to the dock to allow Ben to land, than Peters turned upon the young fellows he had been arguing with at the island, and in unmeasured terms

folks being bothered with such nuisances! I'm not going to stand it if there'

tirade, using still stronger language, and almost boiling over with rage. "Go easy," advis

easy to see that, personally, he was quite a contr

easant words for Ben and Dan she and her friends prepared to start off again. Walter gave th

a bit," su

Walter injected some of the fluid in

erybody," and once more he did the street-piano ac

glance over his shou

switch in?" he as

removed the bulkhead to look at the battery connections.

re was a sudden motion to the wheel, a whizzing buzz, a ch

cks primed-oil cups up, and all that sort of thing," murmured Cora as they g

ter, as he took the whe

suggested Ed. "O

whence the boys had started in their canoe that afternoo

ocked up in the safe, and here we are, forty miles from the pile of

" agreed Ed

"Come over with us for a while, a