“Girls, I am afraid it is going to be a pretty hard pull in this heat.  Hadn’t we better wait until the evening?” suggested the guardian.

Harriet and Jane protested that they didn’t mind the heat at all, and that they could pull the big boat over to the island without the least difficulty.  Miss Elting offered no further objections.  The “Red Rover” was a scene of activity from that moment on.  All hands except Tommy assisted in getting the anchor aboard.  Harriet and Jane, without loss of time, jumped into the rowboat and began pulling away.  It was hard work to get the houseboat started, but once under way it followed along fairly well.

Miss Elting handled the tiller, while Hazel, Margery and Tommy acted as lookouts to inform the rowers if any motor boats were sighted.  The lookouts watched the lake through their glasses.  The sun glaring down on the red sides of the “Red Rover” made the boat visible as far as eyes could reach.  It was even discovered by one of the Tramp Club boys, but so slowly did it move that he was not aware that it was moving at all.  From the other side of the lake the houseboat appeared to be standing still, until finally it disappeared altogether.  He wondered a little over this at the time, then forgot all about the circumstance until later.

[Illustration:  Miss Elting Handled the Tiller.]

In the meantime Harriet and Crazy Jane were heading toward the Island of Delight, pulling at the oars with backs bent to their task.  They were destined to have a most delightful time on this their Island of Delight and to experience some thrills as well, and Harriet’s plans were to work out better than she knew.

CHAPTER IX

THE TRAMP CLUB IS ALARMED

Now that they were masked by the island, the girls also were shut off from a view of the lake, save for the narrow ribbon of water that lay between them and the nearby shore, so they rowed faster than before.

“Can you steer into this opening?” called Harriet.

“I am afraid I can’t,” answered Miss Elting.  “You will have to put me aboard, Jane, I’ll have Hazel help you pull in; then we shall have to push the rest of the way.”

Harriet Burrell sprang on board a few minutes later.  She set Miss Elting and Margery at work with poles at the stern of the boat pushing, as soon as they entered the shallow water.  Tommy had been posted on the upper deck, from which the awning posts had been removed.  Tommy’s business was to hold her arms out at right angles to her body and by moving them as directed indicate to Harriet which way to steer.  It will be remembered that Harriet was unable to see over the deckhouse from where she stood when guiding the craft.  She could see only by leaning out on either side.

They entered the narrow channel very slowly.  But no sooner had they gotten well in than a cry from Tommy Thompson told them that the little lisping girl was in trouble.