Harriet listened for fully fifteen minutes.  All at once, she swung the rowboat about, leaning her body to one side to assist in the turning.  The second oar that had been laid across the seats lengthwise of the boat rolled to the other side with a rumble and a clatter that to her strained nerves sounded like thunder.

“Who’s there?” called a voice from the launch.

There was no reply.  Harriet, in her haste to get away, splashed noisily.  She heard a quick exclamation, then the sound of two people jumping into a rowboat.  She knew it was the rowboat she had seen lying alongside the launch.  She knew, too, that the rowers were pursuing her.  But even then Harriet did not lose her presence of mind.  Instead of doing so, she dipped her oars and sent the boat shooting ahead, with the water rippling away from the bows, making a noise that she feared her pursuers would hear and thus be able to locate her position accurately.  Harriet had not once glanced over her shoulder, but her ears were on the alert and by the sense of sound she was able to gauge the distance between herself and the pursuing boat.

“They’re gaining on me!” she muttered.  “But I’m going to fool them just the same.”

CHAPTER XII

MAKING AN EXCITING DISCOVERY

The Meadow-Brook girl did not dare to go on and enter the secret channel for fear of exposing the hiding place of the houseboat.  She was watching for some other nook into which to drive her boat.  In case her pursuers discovered her she determined to jump out and make her escape as best she could, leaving the boat on the beach.  Then a sudden idea occurred to her.

Harriet picked up a tin dipper that lay in the boat and that had been used for bailing.  This she hurled as far out in the lake as she could throw it.  The dipper fell with a splash that was plainly heard both by herself and those in the pursuing boat.

“Out there he is!” cried a voice in the other boat.  She heard the pursuers head out.  Harriet took advantage of the opportunity to move her rowboat ahead a few rods.  She then turned it sharply to the shore.  The girl was fortunate in being able to find cover in the overhanging foliage, behind which she took refuge.  The water was quite shallow there.  The keel of the rowboat touched bottom.  She heard the grating sound as the boat grounded, but knew that she was not so firmly aground that she could not get away.

The men in the rowboat found neither the dipper nor the boat of which they were in pursuit.  Instead of rowing on, they craftily turned sharply in toward shore in order to get the benefit of the shadows.  One within the shadow could see out fairly well, but to one who was out in the lake, the shores and the water for some rods about were enveloped in blackness.

“Pull out a little, but keep close to the shore,” commanded a voice.  “That fellow played some sort of trick on us and has gone on.  It’s curious we didn’t hear him.  Row fast and I’ll keep watch.  If he gets out into the lake we’ve got him.”