Part 19 (1/2)

Of course Freddie had a long cord tied to it, so it could not get out of his reach, and while Flossie tried to steer the vessel with a long whip, Freddie made believe he was a ca.n.a.l man, and walked along the tow path with the cord in hand.

”I think I would have got a prize in the boat parade if I had this steamer,” said Freddie, feeling his craft was really as fine as any that had taken part in the carnival.

”Maybe you would,” agreed Flossie. ”Now let me sail it a little.”

”All right,” said Freddie, and he offered the cord to his twin sister.

”Oh,” she exclaimed, ”I dropped it!”

The next minute the little boat made a turn with the breeze, and before Flossie could get hold of the string it was all in the water!

”Oh, my boat!” cried Freddie. ”Get it quick!”

”I can't!” declared Flossie. ”It is out too far! Oh, what shall we do!”

”Now you just get it! You let it go,” went on the brother, without realizing that his sister could not reach the boat, nor the string either, for that matter.

”Oh, it's going far away!” cried Flossie; almost in tears.

The little boat was certainly making its way out into the lake, and it sailed along so proudly, it must have been very glad to be free.

”There's Hal Bingham's boat,” ventured Flossie. ”Maybe I could go out a little ways in that.”

”Of course you can,” promptly answered Freddie. ”I can row.”

”I don't know, we might upset!” Flossie said, hesitating.

”But it isn't deep. Why, Downy walks around out here,” went on the brother.

This a.s.surance gave the little girl courage, and slipping the rope off the peg that secured the boat to the sh.o.r.e, very carefully she put Freddie on one seat, while she sat herself on the other.

The oars were so big she did not attempt to handle them, but just depended on the boat to do its own sailing.

”Isn't this lovely!” declared Freddie, as the boat drifted quietly along.

”Yes, but how can we get back?” asked Flossie, beginning to realize their predicament.

”Oh, easy!” replied Freddie, who suddenly seemed to have become a man, he was so brave. ”The tide comes down pretty soon, and then our boat will go back to sh.o.r.e.”

Freddie had heard so much about the tide he felt he understood it perfectly. Of course, there was no tide on the lake, although the waters ran lazily toward the ocean at times.

”But we are not getting near my boat,” Freddie complained, for indeed the toy sailboat was drifting just opposite their way.

”Well, I can't help it, I'm sure,” cried Flossie. ”And I just wish I could get back. I'm going to call somebody.”

”n.o.body can hear you,” said her brother. ”They are all down by the ocean, and there's so much noise there you can't even hear thunder.”

Where the deep woods joined the lake there was a little island. This was just around the turn, and entirely out of view of either the Minturn or the Bingham boat landing. Toward this little island the children's boat was now drifting.

”Oh, we'll be real Robinson Crusoes!” exclaimed Freddie, delighted at the prospect of such an adventure.