ake Luna by Rocky River) was a very different place.
It was heavily timbered and had been held by a private estate for
years. Therefore the trees and rubbish had been allowed to grow, and
one end of the island, as the girls of Central High knew, was almost a
jungle.

But at the eastern end--that nearest the head of Rocky River--was a
pleasant grove on a high knoll, where the old cabin stood. There they
proposed to camp.

Indeed, Mr. Tom Hargrew, Bobby's father, had been kind enough to send
the girls' tents up to the island with the men he had directed to
repair the cabin, and the party expected to find the camp pitched, and
everything ready for them when they arrived at Acorn Island.

This would scarcely be before dark, for there was some current to
Rocky River, although its channel was deep and there were no bridges
or other barriers which the powerboats and their tows could not easily
pass.

The boys expected to have to rough it at the site of _their_ camp for
the first night, and they had come prepared for all emergencies of
wind and weather.

All, did we say? All but one!

In the confusion of getting under way the details of Prettyman
Sweet's outing suit, and his general get-up for camping in the wilds,
was scarcely noticed. Once the boats were steering up the lake toward
Lumberport, a sudden shriek from Billy Long drew the attention of the
girls and Mrs. Morse to the object to which he pointed.

"It's not! it's not! my eyes deceive me!" panted Short and Long, who
was the third member of the crew of boys aboard the _Bonnie Lass_,
Chet and Lance being the other two.

Short and Long was pointing to the other powerboat that was drawing in
beside the _Bonnie Lass_, Pretty himself was at the wheel of the
_Duchess_ for he had learned to manage her.

"What _is_ the matter with you, Billy?" Chet demanded.

"What _is_ it I see?" begged the younger boy, wringing his hands and
glaring across the short strip of water between the powerboats. "I
know there ain't no sech animile, as the farmer said when he first saw
the giraffe at the circus."

"What's eating you, Billy?" asked Lance, who was giving his attention
to the steering of the _Bonnie Lass_. "Don't frighten the girls and
Mrs. Morse to death."

"It's just some joke of Billy's," began Jess, when the very short boy
broke in with:

"If _that's_ a joke, may I never see another! It is a phantom! It's a
nightmare! It's something that comes to you in a bad dream