Part 10 (1/2)
”Well, to tell the truth my mother and Jim's was cousins, but I never knowed him to be such a poor character as he is, or I'd never have come up here. But I don't have to stay all summer,”' she finished significantly.
”Well, good-bye, and I'll see you soon again,” said Cora turning toward her boat.
”Good-bye, miss, but say,” and she half whispered, ”is that girl dumb?”
Cora burst out laughing. Bess a mute!
”No indeed, but she always lets me do the talking,” answered Cora with a sty look at the blus.h.i.+ng Bess.
”She has good sense, fer you know how to do it,” declared Kate Simpson.
They could hear her bend the brush as she pa.s.sed up the narrow way.
”What a queer creature,” remarked Bess, when she felt that it was safe to try her voice.
”She is queer, but I think she knows a lot about things of interest to us. What did you think of her remark about Fern Island? To that pretty little spot we will make our next voyage,” declared Cora, pulling on her thick gloves and taking her place in front of the motor. ”Turn out into the open lake,” she told Bess as they started off. ”We will make a quick run and get back to the bungalow before the others have done the marketing. I am glad it is not our turn to get the lunch for I want to make a trip to Fern Island directly after we have had a bite. Seems to me,” and she increased the speed of the engine a little, ”it takes more time to get a meal at camp than it does at home. The simple life certainly has its own peculiar complications.”
”Oh, there comes that man back! I am so glad we are away from that place,” exclaimed Bess, as the boat of Jim Peters, with the smiling foreigner called ”Jones” floated by.
CHAPTER VIII
THE HAUNT OF FERN ISLAND
The four motor girls started out in the Petrel. Never had the lake seemed so beautiful, nor had the sky appeared a deeper, truer blue.
The pretty Placid lake was dotted all over with summer craft, the sound of the motor boat being almost constant in its echoing, ”cut-a-cuta” against the wonderful green hills that banked sh.o.r.e and, island.
Hazel was steering, and of course Cora was running the engine. The pennant waved gaily from the bow of the boat, and of the many colors afloat it seemed that those chosen by the motor girls shone out most brilliantly on the glistening, silvery waters.
”I'm not a bit afraid now,” admitted Belle, ”I do think it is all a matter of getting used to the water. I thought I should never breathe again after that first day we went out.”
”Yes,” said Cora, ”the water has a peculiar fascination when one is accustomed to it, and I am sure Belle will want to live on a houseboat before we break camp. There go the boys! What a fine motor boat!”
”Yes,” said Hazel, ”that's one from Paul's garage. Paul promised Jack he would speak to Mr. Breslin, the owner, about letting it out for the summer, as the Breslin family is not coming out here until later. It's the Peter-Pan, and the fastest boat on the lake.”
”See them go! I guess they don't see us,”' remarked Belle.
”I am glad they do not,” Cora said, ”for I want to do some exploring, and if the boys came along they would be sure to have other plans for us. Now, Hazel, run in there. That is Fern Island.”
”Oh, there's a canoe!” exclaimed Belle. ”See! and a girl is paddling. What a queer looking girl!”
”Isn't she!” agreed Bess. ”Why she has on a man's hat!”
”She sees that we are watching her. Look how she is hurrying off,”
remarked Cora. ”I wonder how far this cove goes in?”
”We had better not try to find out,” cautioned Belle. ”I think we have had enough of happenings around here. This is where the boy's boat was stolen from; isn't it?”
”No, it was over there, but I guess we will put in at the front of the island, as there is no telling how deep the cove is,” said Cora.
”But see that girl go! Why she's actually gone! Where can she have disappeared to?”