“Now, you must excuse us, boys,” announced Laura, rising with a mysterious air.  “We girls have a little errand to perform.  We shall be back before half-past four o’clock.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to be back a good deal before that time?” urged Dick.  “You see, we can’t carry more than three passengers at once, and we are to have eleven guests to ferry across the lake.”

“Why, didn’t I tell you?” asked Laura, looking astonished.  “My father said it would be an imposition to ask you boys to make four round trips this afternoon, and as many more to-night, so he has engaged one of the hotel launches to take us over, and to call for us this evening.  You don’t mind, do you, boys?  But we would like to have you here at half-past four o’clock to go across the lake with us.”

“We’ll be here,” Dick promised promptly.

Six high school boys watched the girls drive off in the farm wagon, waving handkerchiefs and parasols back to the boys.

“Two o’clock,” remarked Dick, looking at his watch.  “Suppose we take a spin up the lake?”

“Or go back to camp, to make it more ship shape?” suggested Tom Reade.

“What’s the use?” inquired Prescott.  “We fixed everything as well as we could before leaving there this morning.  As to the safety of the camp, Harry’s dog, Towser, can be depended upon to look after that.”

So Dick & Co. headed up the lake in their canoe.

CHAPTER XIV

THE LIAR HAS A LIE READY

“That’s an odd sight, over yonder,” announced Dave, pointing shoreward with his paddle.

They were now nearly three miles above the hotel landing.  They had entered a section of the country given over to truck gardening.

“Women gathering in the produce,” said Dick, after a glance.

“I don’t like that,” uttered Dave in disgust.

“I thought we had progressed too far, and had become too civilized.  Years ago I know that women used to work in the fields, but I thought we were above that sort of thing.”

“Perhaps the farmer’s sons’ were all girls,” suggested Danny Grin.

“I don’t like it, anyway,” retorted Dave.

“Nor I,” agreed Tom.  “To have women at work in the fields makes it appear as though the men are too lazy.”

The sight on shore was not interesting enough to claim long attention, so the young canoeists proceeded on their way.

At a little after four o’clock, however, they were back at the landing.

Not long after, eight young women were sighted riding along in a farm wagon, while Dr. and Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Meade strolled down one of the paths.

The wagon reached the pier first, just as a launch in charge of one of the hotel employs came puffing out of a boathouse near by.

“Come here, boys, and help us unload the wagon,” called Susie Sharp.