last. Pass the cake, George -
and don"t save Timmy any. It"s wasted on him."
„It isn"t!" said George. „You know he loves it."
„Yes. But I stil say it"s wasted on him," said Dick. „Good thing we got such an enormous cake! Are there any biscuits left?"
„Plenty," said Anne. „And chocolate too!"
„Good," said Dick. „I only hope our food wil last us out It won"t if George has her usual colossal appetite."
„What about yours?" said George, indignantly, rising every time to Dick"s lazy teasing.
„Shut up, you two," said Julian. „I"m going to fil the water jug and have some orangeade.
Give me something to take to old Tim."
They spent about half an hour over their lunch, Then they decided to go and tackle the raft in the boathouse, and see if they could possibly launch it on the lake. It would be heavy, they knew.
They left the old house and went off to the boathouse. Julian suddenly caught sight of something out on the lake,
„Look!" he said, „they"ve got one of the boats out of the boat-house - the one that wasn"t half-sunk, I suppose! Dirty Dick is rowing hard. I BET they"re looking for the Saucy Jane!"
They all stood stil and watched. Dick"s heart sank, Would Maggie and Dirty Dick get there first, and find what he and the other three were looking for? Did they know where the Saucy Jane was?
„Come on," said Julian. „We"d better get going if we want to keep an eye on them. They may be rowing to where the Saucy Jane is hidden!"
They climbed in through the wooden side of the boat-house and went to the raft. Julian saw at once that one of the boats had gone - Merry Meg. It was the only boat that was fit to take.
The four began to man-handle the big raft, They took it to the edge of the ledge. It had rope-handles on each side which the children held on to.
„Now - ease her gently," said Julian. „Gently does it. Down she goes!"
And down she went, landing with a big splash in the water. She bobbed there gently, a strong sound raft, eager to go out on the lake!
„Get the paddles," said Julian. „Then we"ll be off."
Chapter Sixteen
OUT ON THE RAFT
There were four little paddles. Dick got them, and gave everyone one each. Timmy looked down solemnly at the raft. What was it? Surely he was not expected to ride on that bobbing, floating thing?
Julian was on the raft already, holding it steady for the others, He helped Anne on and then George stepped down. Dick came last - well, not quite last, because Timmy was not yet on.
„Come on, Tim!" said George. „It"s al right! It"s not the kind of boat you"re used to, but it acts in the same way. Come on, Timmy!"
Timmy jumped down and the raft bobbed violently. Anne sat down suddenly with a giggle. „Oh dear - Timmy is so sudden! Keep stil , Tim - there isn"t enough room on this raft for you to walk all over it."
Julian pushed the raft out of the boat-house. It knocked against the wooden ledge as it went, and then swung out on to the backwater outside. It floated very smoothly.
„Here we go!" said Julian, paddling deftly. „I"l steer, Dick, None of you need to paddle til I say so. I can paddle and steer at the moment, til we get on to the lake itself."
They were al sitting on the raft except Timmy, who was standing up. He was very interested in seeing the water flow past so quickly. Was this a boat then? He was used to boats - but in boats the water was never quite so near. Timmy put out a paw into the water. It was pleasantly cool and tickled him. He lay down with his nose almost in the water.
„You"re a funny dog, Timmy!" said Anne. „You won"t get up too suddenly, wil you, or you"l knock me overboard."
Julian paddled down the little backwater and the raft swung out on to the lake itself. The children looked to see if there was any sign of Maggie and Dirty Dick.
„There they are!" said Julian. „Out in the middle, rowing hard. Shall we follow them? If they know where the Saucy Jane is they"l lead us to it."
„Yes. Follow them,"
and don"t save Timmy any. It"s wasted on him."
„It isn"t!" said George. „You know he loves it."
„Yes. But I stil say it"s wasted on him," said Dick. „Good thing we got such an enormous cake! Are there any biscuits left?"
„Plenty," said Anne. „And chocolate too!"
„Good," said Dick. „I only hope our food wil last us out It won"t if George has her usual colossal appetite."
„What about yours?" said George, indignantly, rising every time to Dick"s lazy teasing.
„Shut up, you two," said Julian. „I"m going to fil the water jug and have some orangeade.
Give me something to take to old Tim."
They spent about half an hour over their lunch, Then they decided to go and tackle the raft in the boathouse, and see if they could possibly launch it on the lake. It would be heavy, they knew.
They left the old house and went off to the boathouse. Julian suddenly caught sight of something out on the lake,
„Look!" he said, „they"ve got one of the boats out of the boat-house - the one that wasn"t half-sunk, I suppose! Dirty Dick is rowing hard. I BET they"re looking for the Saucy Jane!"
They all stood stil and watched. Dick"s heart sank, Would Maggie and Dirty Dick get there first, and find what he and the other three were looking for? Did they know where the Saucy Jane was?
„Come on," said Julian. „We"d better get going if we want to keep an eye on them. They may be rowing to where the Saucy Jane is hidden!"
They climbed in through the wooden side of the boat-house and went to the raft. Julian saw at once that one of the boats had gone - Merry Meg. It was the only boat that was fit to take.
The four began to man-handle the big raft, They took it to the edge of the ledge. It had rope-handles on each side which the children held on to.
„Now - ease her gently," said Julian. „Gently does it. Down she goes!"
And down she went, landing with a big splash in the water. She bobbed there gently, a strong sound raft, eager to go out on the lake!
„Get the paddles," said Julian. „Then we"ll be off."
Chapter Sixteen
OUT ON THE RAFT
There were four little paddles. Dick got them, and gave everyone one each. Timmy looked down solemnly at the raft. What was it? Surely he was not expected to ride on that bobbing, floating thing?
Julian was on the raft already, holding it steady for the others, He helped Anne on and then George stepped down. Dick came last - well, not quite last, because Timmy was not yet on.
„Come on, Tim!" said George. „It"s al right! It"s not the kind of boat you"re used to, but it acts in the same way. Come on, Timmy!"
Timmy jumped down and the raft bobbed violently. Anne sat down suddenly with a giggle. „Oh dear - Timmy is so sudden! Keep stil , Tim - there isn"t enough room on this raft for you to walk all over it."
Julian pushed the raft out of the boat-house. It knocked against the wooden ledge as it went, and then swung out on to the backwater outside. It floated very smoothly.
„Here we go!" said Julian, paddling deftly. „I"l steer, Dick, None of you need to paddle til I say so. I can paddle and steer at the moment, til we get on to the lake itself."
They were al sitting on the raft except Timmy, who was standing up. He was very interested in seeing the water flow past so quickly. Was this a boat then? He was used to boats - but in boats the water was never quite so near. Timmy put out a paw into the water. It was pleasantly cool and tickled him. He lay down with his nose almost in the water.
„You"re a funny dog, Timmy!" said Anne. „You won"t get up too suddenly, wil you, or you"l knock me overboard."
Julian paddled down the little backwater and the raft swung out on to the lake itself. The children looked to see if there was any sign of Maggie and Dirty Dick.
„There they are!" said Julian. „Out in the middle, rowing hard. Shall we follow them? If they know where the Saucy Jane is they"l lead us to it."
„Yes. Follow them,"
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