Part 26 (1/2)

”Oh, well, we'll paddle in them in shallow water,” promised Ted. ”And sinking won't hurt, 'cause we've got on our bathing suits. Come on, Jan!”

Trouble wanted to sail in the new boats, also, but they were not large enough for two. Besides Mrs. Martin did not want the baby to be in the water too much. So she carried him away, Trouble crying and screaming to be allowed to stay, while Jan and Ted got ready for their first trip.

They pretended the boats were ocean steamers and that the cove in the lake, near grandpa's camp, was the big ocean.

They had pieces of wood which their grandfather had whittled out for them to use as paddles, and, as Ted said, they could sit down in the bottoms of the box-boats and never mind how much water came in, for they still had on their bathing suits.

”All aboard!” called Teddy, as he got into his boat.

”I'm coming,” answered Janet, pus.h.i.+ng off from sh.o.r.e.

”Oh, I can really paddle!” cried Ted in delight, as he found that his box floated with him in it and he could send it along by using the board for a paddle, as one does in a canoe. ”Isn't this great, Janet?”

”Oh, it's lots of fun!”

”I'm glad you thought of it. I never would,” went on Ted. He was a good brother, for, whenever his sister did anything unusual like this he always gave her credit for it.

Around and around in the little cove paddled the Curlytops, having fun in their box-boats.

”I'm going to let the wind blow me,” said Jan, after a bit. ”I'm tired of paddling.”

”There isn't any wind,” Ted remarked.

”Well, what makes me go along, then!” asked his sister. ”Look, I'm moving and I'm not paddling at all!”

She surely was. In her boat she was sailing right across the little cove, and, as Ted had said, there was not enough wind to blow a feather, to say nothing of a heavy box with a little girl in it.

”Isn't it queer!” exclaimed Janet. ”What makes me go this way, Ted? You aren't sailing.”

Ted's boat was not moving now, for he had stopped paddling.

Still Jan's craft moved on slowly but surely through the water. Then Ted saw a funny thing and gave a cry of surprise.

CHAPTER XIV

DIGGING FOR GOLD

”What's the matter?” called Jan. Her boat was now quite a little distance away from her brother's. ”Do you see anything, Teddy?”

”I see you are being towed, Janet.”

”Being what?”

”Towed--pulled along, you know, just like the mules pull the ca.n.a.l boats.”

Once the Curlytops had visited a cousin who lived in the country near a ca.n.a.l, and they had seen the mules and horses walking along the ca.n.a.l towpath pulling the big boats by a long rope.

”Who's towing me, Ted?” asked Jan, trying to look over the side of her box. But, as she did so it tipped to one side and she was afraid it would upset, so she quickly sat down again.