The boys left their passengers at the “Red Rover” and then sailed over to their own camp.  The girls were glad to be back.  The houseboat had come to be a real home to them, one that they would be sorry to leave when their vacation came to an end.

Jane had purchased a dozen colored lanterns in town.  As soon as darkness fell, these were lighted and strung above the upper deck.  The interior was brightly lighted, so that the “Red Rover,” that evening, stood out more prominently than anything else on that part of the lake.  Later in the evening, after having disposed of their work, the girls took out the new rowboat and rowed slowly round and round the “Red Rover” singing.  The boys came out at that and joined them.  Together, the two boats drifted about until the hour grew late and Miss Elting called to the girls that it was time to come in.  They responded promptly.  The boys rowed up alongside and holding to the gunwale of the “Red Rover,” chatted for a few moments.

“So long!  We will see you in the morning,” called George as they pushed the rowboat off.

“Yes.  In the morning—­maybe,” answered Harriet laughingly.

“It’s my opinion that those girls are going to try to play more tricks to-night,” declared Billy, after they had gotten a short distance from the “Red Rover.”  He was speaking in a tone louder than he imagined.  Harriet heard every word he said.

“Yes,” agreed George.  “I’ll tell you what we’ll do.  We’ll put a boy on watch to-night.  Then, if they try to run away from us, we will just follow and give them a surprise.  We can’t let those girls get the better of us this time.”

That was the last that Harriet heard.  They had rowed so far away that their words were inaudible.  But what she had heard was quite sufficient.

“And about those ghosts?” questioned Larry.

“A bluff,” scoffed George.  “You don’t believe in ghosts, do you?”

“Well, I don’t know.  I have heard of such things,” admitted Larry solemnly.

“Nonsense.  I guess we will elect you to watch the houseboat to-night.  How about it?” demanded George.

“I don’t care.”

“But don’t you dare go to sleep.”

“What if I do?”

“You will get a ducking,” interjected Sam.  “You will get your distinguished head held under water until you’re wide awake.”

The plan, however, was put into operation soon after their arrival at the camp.  They watched the “Red Rover” together until all the lights except the anchor light, had been put out.  They knew, by this sign, that the Meadow-Brook Girls had retired for the night.  The Tramp Club then went to bed, leaving Larry on guard.  All he could see of the “Red Rover” was the anchor light, the night being very dark and a little hazy.  But he never lost sight of this anchor light for more than a few moments at a time.  Were the girls to get away without his discovering it he knew what to expect at the hands of his companions.  Then again, Larry Goheen prided himself on his keenness.  It would be very humiliating to be outwitted by the girls.  He, with the rest of the boys fully believed that the girls were planning some trick for that night.