Instead of looking out over the lake they were looking at George.

“Wait, I’ll draw a map of the scene and write a directory to the map.  Even then you’d need a private tutor to explain it to you.  Look over there?  Do you see anything?  Wait, I’ll get the telescope.”

Following the direction indicated by Captain George’s upraised arm the boys gazed and as they gazed their eyes grew wide with wonder.  Then suddenly an ear-splitting yell rose from the lips of the Tramp Club.

“It’s the ’Red Rover’!” shouted Sam.

“We’ve found them at last, the tramps!” cried Larry Goheen, his shock of fiery red hair fairly standing on end.

“We’ve found them?” scoffed George.  “Guess again, Reddy.  You mean they have found themselves for us.”

“Well, what do you know about that?” wondered Billy.  “Where in the world did they come from?”

“They probably rose from the sea like Neptune,” scoffed George.

The “Red Rover” lay idly rising and falling on the slight swell, standing out a glistening flame in the bright morning sunlight.  There were no signs of life on board.  The boat was anchored some distance from the camp occupied by the boys, but not far out from the shore of the island.  Naturally the houseboat was a little distance from the secret channel.

“Come on, fellows, let’s go out and see them,” urged Larry enthusiastically.

George gave him a withering look.

“The girls are not yet up.  Can’t you see that?  A fine opinion of us they would have, were we to go out there at this hour.  Do you know what time it is?”

“I can’t see well enough in the morning to tell the time of day,” replied Larry, with a wry twist of his mouth.

“Well, it is a quarter after five.”

The boys groaned.

“Fine time to get a party of gentlemen out of bed,” growled Sam.  “What are we going to do about it, anyway?”

“You fellows are going to take a cold plunge, then get into your clothes.  We will have breakfast.  I will start the fire while you are bathing.”

The boys hurried into their bathing suits, and with many a shout and yell, plunged into the lake.  They were making all the noise they could, hoping to attract the attention of the girls so as to have the opportunity to get out to the houseboat as early as possible.  But eagerly as the lads gazed up the lake, the houseboat showed no activity.

“They must be good sleepers over there,” said Larry.

Captain George smiled to himself.

“They are only shamming,” he muttered under his breath.

Breakfast was served about an hour later.  The fire warmed the boys, and the coffee and food did likewise.  After they had finished their breakfast they were in great good humor.  At half past eight, there still being no signs of life on board the houseboat, Billy declared that he was going out in the launch to see if he couldn’t stir up something.  All hands piled into the launch.  It was a matter of only a few moments to run to the houseboat.  The boys circled the scow slowly, talking loudly.  The windows of the house were open, the curtains flapping in the gentle breeze, but the doors at either end were tightly closed.