Tommy had been swept from her feet by the foliage.  Not only that, but in floundering about she had rolled over the side of the boat.  A mighty splash and a second cry gave additional evidence that Tommy was in further difficulties.

“Help me!  I’m in the water!” she screamed, coming up sputtering and coughing.

“Stay there and push,” answered Harriet, laughing so that she bumped the nose of the houseboat into the bank on the right side of the creek.  “You can’t get any wetter.  The water is shallow.  Come.  Don’t hold up the ship.”

Tommy had no intention of pushing.  Her sole ambition at this moment was to get aboard.

“You may do your own piloting after thith,” she declared, sitting down on the stern of the boat with a suggestion of a sob in her voice.

“There, there, Tommy.  You must learn to take the bitter with the sweet.  We must do that all through life,” comforted Harriet wisely.  “You aren’t hurt.”

“No, but I’m wet.  My feelingth are hurt, too.”

“Don’t think about it any more,” advised Harriet.  “Go into the cabin and change your wet clothes.  Then you’ll feel better.”

“Will you steer, Miss Elting?” Harriet asked the guardian.  “We are slowing down too much.  If we stop it will be difficult to get another start.”

The boat moved faster when Harriet took hold of the pushing pole.  Jane had ceased rowing because she was at the end of her tow line and had proceeded as far into the cave-like opening in the rocks as she could go.  She pulled the rowboat to one side and called to the helmswoman of the “Red Rover” not to run her down.

“Snub her nose against the side.  We don’t want to bump into the rocks,” ordered Captain Harriet.

“Thnub whothe nothe?” questioned Tommy apprehensively.

“The boat’s, of course, you goose,” answered Harriet laughingly.  “That’s it.  Will it go in clear, Jane?”

“Yes, all right.”

“Good.  I was certain it would.”

“How are we going to keep the boat in here?  It will drift out with the current, will it not?” asked the guardian.

“We will put out the anchor at the other end, giving it a short rope.  That will hold us.  The current is not swift.”

While she was holding the “Red Rover” in place, Jane and Miss Elting dragged the anchor to the inner end of the opening, put it over and made it fast with a shortened rope.

“There.  Now let’s sit down and rest our backs,” exclaimed Harriet.  Her face was red and perspiring.  “I’m tired.”

“Harriet, you must be tired.  You have wonderful endurance,” said the guardian.

“Tho am I tired.  I’m worn out,” declared Tommy.

“Tired?  Why, you haven’t done a thing, you dear little goose,” chuckled Crazy Jane.

“I know that.  It maketh me tired to watch you folkth work.  Now, what crathy thing are we going to do?”

“After we have rested we are going to explore our Island of Delight.  Won’t that be splendid?” questioned Harriet, with glowing eyes.  “Just imagine that we are on an unknown, mysterious island.  Perhaps there are savages, wild beasts and——­”