"Don't talk! Save your wind. We can talk afterwards," returned his
cousin.

The next quarter of an hour was one which none of the girls or boys
ever forgot. The Rovers continued to battle with the wind and the waves
with all the energy left to them, while the girls crouched down on the
seats almost speechless with fear. Occasionally, the waves would hit
the bow of one rowboat or the other, sending a shower of water over the
occupants.

"I--think--it's--letting up--a--bit," panted Jack, presently, and
glanced up at the sky.

"Oh, if only it would!" breathed Ruth.

The boat containing the others had dropped slightly behind, but now
Jack and Fred held back until it was once more alongside.

"Oh, did you ever see such a storm!" wailed Alice.

"I don't think I'll ever want to go out in a rowboat again," was
Annie's bitter comment.

"I think the wind is beginning to die down," said Ruth, encouragingly.

"Let--us--hope--so," came in jerks from Jack. He was still rowing, but
his arms felt as if they were being torn from their sockets.

They had now covered nearly half the distance to the upper end of the
lake, but they were just as far from the western shore as ever. Now,
however, as the wind began to die down, they turned slightly in the
direction of Haven Point.

"It won't matter where we land," declared Ruth. "We can easily walk
back to the school."

The sun was still under a cloud, but now the wind went down more than
ever. The surface of the lake, however, was still much troubled, and
the boys had all they could do to make any progress towards the shore.

"Oh, you must be very tired!" said Ruth to Jack.

"Never--mind--we'll--reach--shore--somehow," he answered. Then she said
no more, because she knew it was painful for him to speak.

The four boys continued to row on, and in about a quarter of an hour
came within plain view of the shore, at a point some distance beyond
Clearwater Hall and the town.

"Oh, look! Something is the matter down by the lumber yards," remarked
Alice, presently. "See the men running!" She pointed, and those in both
rowboats looked in that direction.

"I don't see anything wrong," said Ruth.

"I do!" cried May, and gave a little shriek. "Look! look! A whole lot
of lumber is drifting this way!"

"Some--thing--broken--lose," gasped Jack. "Maybe--a--lumber--raft."

And that was just what had happened. In a manner to be explained later,
a lumber raft being towed up the lake b