So, without calling to Bunny and Sue, Bunker walked along the other shore of the island, to the upper end.  And Bunny and Sue, being behind a lot of trees and bushes, did not know that Bunker was not in the place where he had said he was going.

Bunker found the water deep enough at the upper end of the island, and there he sat down to fish.

“I’ll just see if they’re biting good here,” he said to himself, “and, if they are, I’ll go back and get the children.”

Bunker had to wait quite a while for his first bite, and by that time Bunny and Sue had decided to start off themselves in the boat.  And so they did, with the umbrella for a sail, as I have told you.

Faster and faster they went, around the lower end of the island.  They expected to see Bunker there, but they did not, because he was at the upper end.

“Why—­why—­Bunker isn’t here,” said Sue, in surprise.

“Then we’d better go back,” announced Bunny, still holding to the umbrella.  “Stick your oar in the water, Sue, and steer back to where we were.”

You can steer a boat with one oar, if you can’t row it with one, and Sue knew a little bit about steering.  But the oar was too heavy for Sue’s little hands, and it soon slipped over into the lake.  She tried to grab it, but was too late.  The second oar was lost overboard.

“Oh, dear!” Sue cried.  “It’s gone.”

“Never mind,” said Bunny.  “We don’t need oars with the umbrella for a sail.  Only we can’t sail back where we were unless the wind blows the other way.  And I don’t see where Bunker is.”

“Maybe he’s gone home and left us,” said Sue.

“He couldn’t—­not without a boat,” objected Bunny.  “We’ll have to sail over to camp and get daddy or Uncle Tad to row back for him.”

“Yes, let’s sail to our camp,” agreed Sue.  “Won’t they be s’prised to see us come up this way with an umbrella?”

“I guess they will,” said Bunny.

The wind blew stronger.  It was all Bunny could do to hold to the umbrella now.  The wind almost blew it from his hands.  Even with Sue to help him it was hard work.

“If you could only tie it fast,” suggested Sue.

“Maybe I can,” said Bunny.  “Here’s a rope.”

The rope by which the boat had been tied to a tree on the island lay in the bottom of the boat.  The umbrella had a crooked handle, and the tying of one end of the rope around this, helped Bunny to hold the queer sail.

The boat now went on faster and faster.

“Why, there’s our camp, away over there!” cried Sue, pointing.  “Why don’t you sail to it, Bunny?”

Bunny looked.  Indeed, the white tents of Camp Rest-a-While were on the other side of the lake—­far away.  And the wind was blowing the boat farther and farther off.  Bunny and Sue could not get back to camp, for now they had nothing with which to steer their boat.  Of course, if the wind had been blowing toward the tents, instead of away from it, they could have gotten there without steering.  But now they could not.