rother.

Then the rowboat was tied fast to the stern of the other boat, which
was steered around by Mr. Burnett, and headed up the inlet.

"I've got time to take you back to your pier," he said to Cousin Tom. "I
started out a bit early this morning, so I don't have to hurry. Besides,
the tide is running pretty strong, and you'd have it a bit hard rowing
back."

"It's a good thing you came along," said Daddy Bunker, as he thanked the
lobsterman. "The children might have been carried out to sea."

"Oh, the life guard at the station on the beach would have seen them in
time," returned Mr. Burnett. "But I'm just as glad we got them when we
did."

"What made you go off in the boat?" asked Daddy Bunker of Margy.

"We didn't mean to," answered Mun Bun. "We got in to play sail, and the
boat went off by itself."

And this was about all the two children could say as to what had
happened. They had got into the boat, which was tied to the pier, and
had been playing in it for some time. Then, before they knew it, the
boat became loose, and drifted off. Russ, who had been playing on the
beach not far away, had seen them, but not in time to help them.

He had, indeed, called to them to "come out of the boat," but then it
was too late for Margy and Mun Bun to do this. There was already some
water between their boat and the pier. Then Russ did the next best
thing; he called his mother.

It did not take long for the lobster motor-boat to make the run back to
Cousin Tom's pier, pulling the empty rowboat behind. Mrs. Bunker rushed
down and hugged Margy and Mun Bun in her arms.

"Oh, I thought I should never see you again!" she cried, and there were
tears in her eyes.

"We didn't mean to go away in the boat," said Margy.

"We didn't mean to," repeated Mun Bun.

And of course the children did not. They had been playing in the boat as
it was tied to the wharf, and they never thought it would get loose.
Just how this happened was never found out. Perhaps Mun Bun or Margy
might have pulled at the knot in the rope until they loosened it, and
the tug of the tide did the rest.

But the children were soon safe on the beach again, playing in the sand,
and the alarm was over.

"What makes the water in the inlet run up sometimes and down other
times?" asked Violet.

"It's the tide," said Russ, who had heard some fishermen talking about
high and low water.

"What's the tide?" went on the little girl.

"The moon," added Russ. "I