“I was suddenly awakened last night,” began Harriet without preliminary remarks.  “A boat sailed into the bay close to shore and came to anchor.  Then a small boat put off.  Two men were in it.  They came ashore with a heavy box, started down the bar, then back to the beach after I had met and stopped them.  Tommy has told you the truth about their further movements.”

“Wait a moment.  You stopped them, you say?” questioned Mrs. Livingston.

“Yes.  I didn’t want them to get near the cabin and disturb our party.  According to their story they had made a mistake.  They had some supplies for a friend of theirs who was on a fishing trip somewhere up the coast.”

“You believed that to be the case, then?”

“No, Mrs. Livingston, I did not, because, instead of going up the beach after I had turned them back, they went the other way, eventually turning in among the trees, where they remained for some time.  I did not see them again until they fell over me later—­”

“What!” The guardian was more amazed than before.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you that I followed them to see what they were going to do.  I didn’t find out, but they found me, though they were not aware of it.”  Harriet explained how she had lain down on the ground and how one of the two men had stumbled over her feet without discovering her presence.  Exclamations of amazement greeted this part of the story.

“What became of them after that?” asked Miss Elting.

“They shoved off their rowboat, rowed out to the sailboat, which quickly weighed anchor and put out to sea.  That is all I know about it.  You see, Tommy was right.”

Mrs. Livingston turned to Tommy.

“My dear, you did splendidly.  Of all this camp of girls you were the only one who found the trail and read it aright.  That is trailing for you, Mr. McCarthy.  But what could the men have been doing here?  I do not like the looks of it at all.”

“They have gone, so we needn’t worry,” replied Harriet.  “I forgot to say that there was a boat in here—­I think it was the same one—­the other night just before the storm.  It is my idea that they came in on that occasion to put something ashore, but were obliged to get out to sea before the storm broke.  They came back on the following night to finish what they had failed to do the first time.”

Mr. McCarthy nodded.  So did Mrs. Livingston.

“Remarkable girls, these Meadow-Brook Girls, Mr. McCarthy.  However, there is nothing to be done.  We shall not be bothered any more, in all probability.  Besides, they were not here on our account, so we have no cause to worry.”

“And I’ve got to walk back to Portsmouth,” groaned Mr. McCarthy.  “I told you, Mrs. Livingston.”

“Perhaps we may catch some farmer who is going in that direction, and who will be willing to give you a lift,” she suggested.

“No; you will have to let me sleep under a tree and hang about to-night.  The men are coming down in the morning to get the car out of the pond.  They might as well have two jobs as one.  How did it happen, Jane?”