“All lie down!” came the quiet command from the captain of the “Red Rover.”  All except Harriet flattened themselves on the deck.  The rowboat drew slowly up toward the scow, then was permitted to drift in the rest of the way.  When almost alongside, the boys in the rowboat decided to go around to the other side.  This nearly upset the plans of Harriet Burrell, but she quickly moved her force to the opposite side of the deck near the stern end.  Had the boys been sufficiently alert they might have caught a faint rattle and a scuffle of feet.  They were too intent on their mission, however, to realize that anything out of the ordinary was going on aboard the houseboat.

A whispered conversation ensued in the rowboat, then two boys got cautiously to the deck of the cockpit.  There followed a period of silence and a low-spoken command from below.

A mighty yell suddenly broke from the midnight visitors.  Howls and shrieks, Indian war-whoops and beating on the cabin with sticks, accompanied the shouts.

“Pirates!  Surrender!” howled a voice that was easily recognizable as belonging to the red-headed Larry Goheen.  “Whoop!  Hi-yi-yip yah!”

“We will settle the pirates,” muttered Harriet.

“Just listen to those lads,” chuckled Crazy Jane.

“Let go!” The command came sharp and incisive.  A rattle of tin dishes followed.  Pails and pans were raised to the rail as five figures stood up suddenly.  “Stand by to repel boarders!” was the second command.  Five pans and pails of water were tilted, sending a flood of water down on the heads of the surprised “pirates.”  From a tub of water on deck the pails were quickly refilled and the water dumped over the rail.  Not many drops were wasted.  Nearly every drop reached a pirate.

Crazy Jane uttered a shrill war-whoop, then the girls grabbed and shook her.  The amazed pirates were in a panic.  Three of them had been left on the lower deck of the “Red Rover.”  The rowboat had been quickly pushed off as soon as the occupants recovered from their first surprise.  The three Tramps made a leap for the rowboat.  They landed in the lake with a splash and went floundering toward the small boat.

Tommy climbed to the rail and hurled a pan at the beaten pirates.  But in hurling the pan she lost her balance.

“Thave me!” she screamed.  Tommy plunged sideways from the rail, making a complete turn in the air, landing in the lake with a mighty splash.

Harriet dived off after her, fearing that her little companion might have been stunned by striking the water on her back.  But Tommy came up before Harriet rose from her dive.

“Oh, thave me!” wailed Tommy in a choking voice.

All this had happened without the boys understanding what was going on.  They had taken aboard their three companions and were pulling into the shadow of the island with all speed.  Miss Elting and Jane had run down to the lower deck.  The guardian cast a rope.  Harriet and Tommy brushed the rope aside and swam easily to the end of the boat, where Harriet assisted Tommy up, afterwards being herself assisted aboard by Crazy Jane.  The two thoroughly soaked girls staggered into the cabin, where Harriet sat down on the floor, laughing hysterically.