Harriet led the way to the forward deck of the “Red Rover,” pointing to a hard wood cleat.

“I made a loop in the rope and slipped it over the cleat, drawing it tight.  I do not see how it would be possible for the loop to slip off, nor, in fact, for the rope to break.”

“Hm-m-m-m!” pondered George, feeling the cleat with critical fingers.  “Smooth.  No chance for it to have worn through.  There is something to be explained in this affair, Miss Burrell.”

Harriet gazed searchingly at him, but said nothing.

“I wish you would have a look at the rope.  It’s there on the shore.  Then, after you have examined it, tell me what you think about the matter, but tell me just whatever you wish to.  I’m not going to question you about something you don’t wish me to know.”

“What do you mean, Captain?”

“Have you any enemies up here?”

“I do not know of any.  I have a rival here, though.”

“Eh?  Who?”

“You,” answered Harriet, with a smile.

“Oh!” Captain Baker flushed, then he laughed heartily.  “That was last summer.  You beat us fairly.  Of course we wanted to win the race home, and so did you, but you won it fairly and squarely, and that’s all there was about it.  We got you into trouble by stealing the melons and giving them to you, but honestly, we didn’t mean to have the farmer hold you responsible.”

“We owe you something for telling George’s fortune,” laughed Sam.

“Then pay your debts,” retorted Harriet.

“Don’t you do anything of the sort, boys,” warned Jane.  “You know what will happen to you, if you do.”

“What will happen?” demanded Baker, turning to Crazy Jane.

“Oh, that would be telling.  We should be even with you before we had finished, you know.  Girls are always more resourceful than boys.”

“I don’t agree with you,” retorted George Baker.

“Do you wish us to prove it to you?” asked Harriet laughingly.

“I’ll give you a chance to fail,” returned George.  “As long as we’re going to spend our vacations on this lake we’ll give you girls a chance to prove your superiority as strategists.  I’ll wager you a No. 2 Brownie Camera, to be the joint property of whichever side wins it, that the Tramp Club can completely outwit the Meadow-Brook Girls three times inside of three weeks.  What do you say?”

“Shall we accept the challenge, Miss Elting?” asked Harriet.  “What do you say, girls?”

“Done!” chorused the girls and their guardian.

“Very well,” smiled Harriet.  “The contest begins now, and of course all unfair tricks are to be barred out by both sides.”

“Of course,” agreed George.  “But come along and have a look at the rope.”

Harriet stepped briskly ashore, followed by Jane and the two boys.  She went directly to where the rope and the anchor lay.  Picking up the former she ran it through her hands until she came to the loop that had been drawn about the cleat on the deck when the boat had been anchored on the previous afternoon.  The Meadow-Brook Girl held the loop on the palm of her left hand, gazing at the rope reflectively.  She frowned slightly as she looked at it.