n in the motor-boat about fifteen minutes.

"Oh, a few miles--just a few miles," was the answer.

"And how long will it take to get there?" Mrs. Bobbsey asked.

"Well, that's hard to say," was the answer. "It might take us a long
while, and again it might not take us so long."

"Why is that?" asked Mr. Bobbsey, wondering whether Bert and Nan would
be all right, left to themselves as they were. But then they would have
their uncle, aunt, and cousin to look after them.

"Well," went on Captain Craig, as he steered the boat to one side, "you
see it's getting thicker and thicker--I mean the weather. The rain is
coming down harder and it's getting foggy, too. I can't very well see
where to steer, and I have to run at slow speed. So it will take me
longer to get to Hemlock Island than if it was a clear day and I could
run as fast as my boat would go."

"Well, get there as soon as you can," begged Mrs. Bobbsey. "I'm sure if
Flossie and Freddie are on the island in all this rain they will be
terribly frightened!"

"Well, they may be--a little," admitted Mr. Bobbsey. "But Flossie and
Freddie are brave children. They'll make the best of things I'm sure!"

The motor-boat went chug-chugging its way across the big lake, not
running as fast as it could have done on a fair day. The rain poured
down, making a hissing sound in the water. Those in the boat wore rubber
coats, for Captain Craig had supplied them at his boathouse before
starting out. He owned a boat dock, and also a fishing pier, and
supplied pleasure parties with nearly everything they needed for fair
weather or stormy.

Suddenly Mrs. Bobbsey, who was straining her eyes to peer through the
mist and rain, uttered a cry.

"There's something!" she called out.

"Where?" asked her husband, and Captain Craig leaned forward, his hands
gripping the spokes of the steering wheel.

"Right straight ahead," went on Mrs. Bobbsey. "Something black is
looming up in the fog. Maybe it's the balloon!"

"We can't be anywhere near the island yet," said the captain. "That is
unless I'm away off my course. But we'll soon find out what it is."

They could all see the black object now, though it looked dim and
uncertain, for a fog was settling down over the lake and the mist and
vapor, together with the rain, made it hard to see more than a few feet
ahead.

"It's a boat!" suddenly cried Mr. Bobbsey. "A large boat."

And that is what it was.

"Ahoy there!" called Captain Craig