said Nancy, shortly.

"Why didn't you put it back?"

"It wasn't an accident!" exclaimed Jennie. "One of the girls drew the
plug and just stuffed the hole with rags. We didn't know it. Of course,
the water forced the rags out when we got half-way across the river."

"Why, that was criminal!" cried Bob, angrily. "That was no joke."

"Well, we didn't laugh ourselves to death about it," agreed Jennie.

"What girl did it?"

"I'd hate to tell you," snapped Jennie. "There were two of them in the
trick, I'm sure. But I certainly will pay them off!"

"They ought to be punished. You might have been drowned," declared Bob.

But Nancy said nothing. She did not propose to discuss Grace
Montgomery's shortcomings with her cousin.

The two girls got ashore in the semi-darkness, and thanked their rescuer
again.

"I'll ask after you to-morrow over the 'phone," declared Bob. "I hope
you won't get cold."

"Oh, goodness me! don't ask," cried Jennie. "Then we will have to
explain the whole business. And I don't want to go before the Madame."

"That's right, Jennie," agreed her chum. "Please don't ask after us, Mr.
Endress."

"Then let me know how you get along through Grace. I see her a lot,"
said Bob. "But you girls are never with her."

"Aw--well," drawled Jennie, coming to Nancy's rescue. "You know, we
girls go in bunches. Nancy and I chum together, and it's a close
corporation. We don't often go about with other girls."

Then they said "Good-night!" and ran off through the bushes. Their wet
garments hampered them somewhat in running; but they came at last
breathless to the gym. and Samuel had not yet locked up for the night.

So they got into gym. togs--both blouses and skirts,--and managed to
enter the Hall by the rear door of their wing and get up to Number 30
without being caught by any teacher, or the Side captain.

The wet clothes were flung out of the window and, very early in the
morning, Nancy arose, slipped out of the house, and carried the garments
to the drying yard.

So they got over this adventure without the teachers being the wiser.
There was a hue and cry about the lost skiff, however.

"What are we going to say?" demanded Jennie, of her chum. "You won't let
me go at Grace and Cora and make 'em pay for it. What'll we do?"

"Let folks think the skiff floated away from the landing. What do we
care if they say we didn't tie it?" returned Nancy. "It's our loss;
isn't it?"

"But those girls ought to b