CHAPTER XI
WHERE THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED
"And where is Professor Skillings?" asked Mrs. Havel, as the well-ladenlaunch drew away from the little natural landing which defended one endof the girls' bathing beach at Green Knoll Camp.
"Bless your heart, ma'am," said Ferdinand Roberts, laughing, "the oldgentleman is trying to figure out one of Tubby's unanswerablearguments--that is, I believe, what you'd call it."
"One of Tubby's unanswerable arguments?" cried Wyn. "For pity's sake!what can that be?"
"Why, at breakfast this morning the professor got to 'dreaming,' as hesometimes does. He tells us lots of interesting things when he beginstalking that way; but sometimes, if we are in a hurry to get away, wehave to put the stopper in," chuckled Ferd.
"Tubby usually does it. Tubby really _is_ good for something besideeating and sleeping, girls--you wouldn't believe it!"
"You _do_ surprise us," admitted Bess Lavine, cuttingly.
"All right. But just wait and listen. We wanted to get away early andcome over here after you," said Ferd. "And the professor began to giveus one of his talks. This time it was on literature. By and by he says:
"'We are told that it took, Gray, author of 'An Elegy Written in aCountry Churchyard,' seven years to write that famous poem."
"'Gee!' exclaimed Tubby. 'If he'd only known stenography how much betteroff he'd been.'
"'Ahem! how do you prove that, Mr. Blaisdell?' inquired the professor,quite amazed.
"'Why, we took that as a lesson in the shorthand class of the CommercialDepartment last spring,' said Tubby, 'and some of the real good onescould do Gray's Elegy, from dictation, in seven minutes. See what Graywould have saved if he'd known shorthand!'
"And that completely shut up the professor," said Ferd, as the laughterbroke out. "He hasn't recovered from the shock yet."
The _Happy Day_ was turned toward the Forge first, skirting theshore all the way. That brought them, of course, close to Jarley'sLanding. Polly was just pushing out in a little skiff.
Wyn and Frank waved to her; but the other girls did not know her, ofcourse, and only watched the boatman's daughter curiously.
"How well she rows!" exclaimed Percy.
"Say! but she's a fine looking girl," said Dave, earnestly. "Whathandsome arms she's got."
"Handsome is as handsome does," remarked Bess, snappishly.
"She's as brown as an Indian," observed Mina.
"That doesn't hurt her," declared Dave, stoutly. "Is _she_ the girlyou were speaking about, Wyn?"
"She is Polly Jarley, and she is my friend," responded Wynifred,quietly. "And I believe her to be as good as she is beautiful."
"Then there are wings sprouting under her blouse," laughed Frank; "forthere's no girl _I_ ever saw who could hold a candle to Polly forright down beauty."
"She looks so sad," said Mina, softly.
"Why shouldn't she be sad?" Wyn demanded, "with everybody talking abouther father the way they do?"
"Come, girls!" commanded Mrs. Havel. "Don't gossip. Find some othertopic of conversation."
"Ha! quite so," cried Frank, with a grimace upon her own homely face. "Agirl may be as pretty as a picture and spoil it all by an ugly frame ofmind. How's _that_ for a spark thrown from the wheel?"
"Stand back, audience!" exclaimed Dave. "Something like that is likelyto happen any minute."
"I don't really see how the old professor gets on with you boys at all,"remarked Bessie Lavine, with a sigh. "You'd worry the life out of anangel."
"But Professor Skillings is _not_ an angel--thanks be!" exclaimedDave.
"He's a good old scout!" drawled Tubby.
"He just hasn't forgotten what it is to be a boy," began Ferd.
"But, goodness me!" cried Frankie. "He's forgotten about everythingelse, at some time or other; hasn't he?"
"Not what he's learned out of books and from observation," declaredDave. "But my goodness! he _is_ absent-minded. Yesterday a coupleof us fellows chopped up a good heap of firewood. We don't have a fancystove like you girls, but just an out-of-doors fireplace. After supperthe dear old prof, said he'd wash the dishes, and we dumped all the potsand pans together and--what do you think?"
"Couldn't think," drawled Frank. "I'm too lazy. Tell us without makingyour story so complicated."
"Why, we found he had carried an armful of firewood down to the shoreand was industriously swashing the sticks up and down in the water,thinking he was washing the supper dishes."
With similar conversation, and merry badinage, the journey around LakeHonotonka progressed. The shores of the lake, in full summer dress, werebeautiful. There was an awning upon the motor boat, so the rapidlymounting sun did not trouble the party. But it _was_ hot atnoonday, and through Dave's glasses they could see that the sails on themill behind Windmill Farm were still. There wasn't air enough stirring,even at that height, to keep the arms in motion, and down here on thewater the temperature grew baking.
They ran into a cool cove and went ashore for dinner. Nobody wantedanything hot, and so, as there was a splendid spring at hand, they madelemonade and ate sandwiches of potted chicken and hard-boiled eggs whichthe boys had been thoughtful enough to bring along. The girls had crispsalad leaves to go with the chicken, too, and some nice mayonnaise.Altogether even Tubby was willing to pronounce the "cold bite"satisfying.
"And I'm no hypocrite," declared the fat youth, earnestly. "When I say athing I mean it."
"What _is_ your idea of a hypocrite, Tubby?" demanded Wyn,laughing.
"A boy who comes to school smiling," replied Tubby, promptly.
After a while a little breeze ruffled the surface of the lake again andthe _Happy Day_ was made ready for departure. They continued thentoward the west, where lay the preserve known as Braisely Park, in whichthere were at least a dozen rich men's lodges. They were all in sightfrom the lake--at some point, at least. Each beautiful place had a waterprivilege, and the landings and boathouses were very picturesque. Therewas a whole fleet of craft here, too, ranging in size from a cedar canoeto a steam yacht. The latter belonged to Dr. Shelton, the man who hadaccused John Jarley of stealing the motor boat _Bright Eyes_ andthe five thousand dollars' worth of silver images from the ruinedtemples of Yucatan.
"And of course," said Wyn, warmly, "that is nonsense. For if Polly andher father had done such a thing, they would turn the silver into money;wouldn't they, and stop living in poverty?"
"Well, it looks mighty funny where that boat and all could have gone,"Bessie remarked.
"If she sank as quickly as he says, the wreck must lie off Gannet Islandsomewhere," remarked Dave, reflectively.
"Oh! I wish we could find it," commented Wyn.
"If it ever sank at all," sneered Bessie.
But it was almost impossible to quarrel with Wyn Mallory. Frank wouldhave "got hot" a dozen times at Bess while the party chanced to discussthe Jarleys and their troubles. But the captain of the Go-Ahead Club waspatient.
Bye and bye--and after mid-afternoon--the _Happy Day_ came aroundto the west end of Gannet Island. Up among the trees a glint of whitebetrayed the presence of the boys' tent. In a little sheltered covebelow the site of Cave-in-the-Wood Camp, danced the fleet of canoes.
Nothing would do but the girls and Mrs. Havel must go ashore and see thecave and the camp.
"And we can have tea," said Ferd. "How's that, girls? ProfessorSkillings has got a whole canister of best gunpowder in his privatestores--and there he is on that log, examining specimens."
"Oh, dear me!" cried Frankie, "tea isn't going to satisfy the gnawing of_my_ appetite."
"How about a fish-fry?" demanded Dave, swerving the motor boat suddenlyaway from the landing.
"Where'll you get your fish?" cried Percy Havel.
"In the fish store at Meade's Forge," scoffed Ferdinand Roberts.
"That's too far to run for supper--and back again--this afternoon,boys," said Mrs. Havel.
"Just you wait," cried Dave. "I caught sight of something j
ustnow--there she is!"
The _Happy Day_ rounded a wooded point of the island. Near theshore floated Polly Jarley's skiff and Polly was just getting up heranchor.
"She's been fishing all day!" exclaimed Wyn.
"And I'll wager she's got a fine mess of perch," said Dave. "Hi, MissJarley!" he shouted. "Hold on a minute."
Polly had heard the chugging of the motor boat. Now she stood upsuddenly and waved both hands in some excitement.
"What does she want?" demanded Bess.
"Get out! farther out!" the boatman's daughter shouted, her clear voiceechoing from the wooded heights of the island. "Danger here!"
"What's the matter with her?" demanded Bess again. "Is there a submarinemine sunk here?"
But Dave veered off, taking a wider course from the shore.
"What is the matter, Polly?" shouted Wyn, standing up and making amegaphone of her hands.
"Snags!" replied the other girl. "Here's where father ran Dr. Shelton'sboat on a root. The shallow water here is full of them. Look out"
"Say!" cried Frank Dumont "We don't want to sink the old _HappyDay_."
"So _this_ is where the accident happened; is it?" observed Wyn,looking around at the shores of the little cove and the contour of theisland's outline.
"Humph!" snapped Bessie Lavine, sitting down quickly. "I don't believethere was any accident at all. It was all a story."