“Well, what do you find?” questioned the captain briskly.

Harriet glanced up at him quickly.

“I understand,” she said.

“What is it, Harriet, dear?” asked Miss Elting.

“Oh, what a mess!” muttered Jane, who had been looking over Harriet’s shoulder.  “Here’s more trouble for the Meadow-Brook Girls, and trouble for somebody besides them, too.”

“You can see for yourself,” replied Harriet, handing the end of the rope to the guardian.

“The loop has been cut!” exclaimed Miss Elting.

Harriet nodded.

“It has, indeed,” agreed Jane.

Miss Elting and Harriet Burrell exchanged significant glances.  George Baker observed the looks.  He nodded to Billy.  Larry Goheen winked wisely.

“There is something behind this business then, Miss Elting?” asked the captain.

“I don’t mind admitting that there is, Mr. Baker,” answered the guardian.  “What do you say, girls, shall we tell the boys?” she inquired, turning to her wards.

“If you think best,” agreed Harriet.

“Surely.  Tell them.  Maybe they’ll be able to catch the rascal,” urged Jane McCarthy.

“This is not the first time we have been troubled by some person who wishes to annoy us,” Miss Elting informed the Tramp Club.  “Before we began to live on the boat, and while we were getting it ready for occupancy, some person did the same thing.  That is, he cut the rope and cast the boat adrift.  It was anchored at Johnson’s dock.  Perhaps you do not know where that is.”

“I know,” spoke up Billy.  “It’s about two miles above here.  That’s where we landed to-day, George.”

Captain Baker nodded.

“How do you know they cast the ‘Red Rover’ adrift?” he asked.

“The rope had been cut,” replied Harriet Burrell.  “It was just as Miss Elting has told you.  The anchor rope had been cut cleanly with a sharp knife.  This time the loop, instead of the rope, has been cut.”

“I thought you said you had no enemies,” observed Sam Crocker.

“Nor have we, as far as we know,” answered the guardian.

“I don’t know what you would call the person who did this, then.  This is all the more reason why you should anchor near our camp.”

“Oh, no.  We are perfectly able to take care of ourselves,” smiled Miss Elting.  “Experiences such as these aid in making us self-reliant.”

“Have you a revolver on board?” questioned Gordon.

“Miss Elting has a revolver,” answered Jane.

“We hope never to be forced to use it, however.  The trouble is that our friend doesn’t show himself.  But just wait.  One of these fine nights we’ll catch him, then he’ll take a bath in the lake.”

“You have no idea who he is?”

“I can’t say that we have,” replied the guardian slowly.

“Do you know Mr. Dickinson?” asked Harriet, looking sharply at Gordon.