perseverance the raft was finished before noon. It consisted of four
logs laid side by side, and bound together with handkerchiefs,
shoe-strings, green twigs, and a few strips from one of Harry's shirts,
which he said was unnecessarily long. It was covered with two or three
pieces of flat drift-wood; and when it was finished, a piece of board
was found, which was shaped with the hatchet into a rude paddle. Then
Tom and Harry proceeded to embark.

[Illustration: HARRY SETS OUT IN PURSUIT OF THE BOAT.]

The raft floated Harry very well, but promptly sank when Tom also
stepped on it. Either more timber must be added to it, or one boy must
go alone in search of the boat. Harry insisted upon going at once, and
as the lake was perfectly smooth, and he could swim well, there did not
seem to be great risk in his making the voyage alone. Bidding the boys
good-by, he paddled slowly away, and left his comrades to anxiously wait
for his return.

It was ticklish work paddling the raft. The logs were fastened together
so insecurely, owing to the fact that all the rope was in the runaway
boat, that Harry was in constant fear that they would come apart, and
was obliged to paddle very carefully to avoid putting any strain on the
raft. With such a craft speed was out of the question; and after an hour
of hard work the raft was only half way between the island and the boat.
Harry was not easily discouraged, however, and he paddled on, knowing
that if nothing happened he must reach the boat in course of time.

Something did happen. When, after paddling for more than two hours, the
_Whitewing_ was rather less than a quarter of a mile from the raft,
Harry missed a stroke with his paddle, and tumbled over. He struck the
raft with his shoulder, and went through it as easily as if it had been
fastened together with paper. When he came to the surface again he found
that the raft had separated into its original logs, and that his voyage
on it was ended. Luckily the _Whitewing_ was now within swimming
distance, so he struck out for her, and finally crept into her over the
stern, so much exhausted that he had to lie down and rest before taking
to the oars. Had the raft gone to pieces half an hour sooner, he would
have been in a dangerous position; for it is doubtful if he could have
clung to one of the logs long enough to drift to the shore without
becoming totally exhausted.

The boys on the island did not witness the end of Harry's raft, for