*

For some reason George Baker was considerably interested in that island.
There were many other islands in the lake, but this one had come to hold
a sort of fascination for him.

"I don't believe they are over there," reflected George.

"We should have seen them yesterday if they had been," answered Billy
Gordon. "It's a jolly place, though. We'll come over here and camp when
we get ready. It is seldom that any one goes there."

"Where's that farmhouse we saw yesterday?" questioned Sam.

"On the other side of the lake, about half way down," answered Gordon.
"There is a pier there so we can land."

Of course all of this the Meadow-Brook Girls did not hear. But, having
reached the houseboat, they made their way down the inlet, and were near
the mouth of it when they sighted the motor boat on that side of the
island. The girls saw it head straight for the pier where Harriet had
landed the previous evening on her way to the farmhouse for supplies.
The boys tied up the boat and two of them got out and went up the slope
toward the farmhouse.

The two boys, George and Billy, returned to the motor boat walking
rapidly.

"Did you find out anything?" called Sam.

"Yes."

"Anything wrong?" asked Larry.

"I don't know. It's a puzzle," replied Captain Baker. "Two of them were
up at that farmhouse last night. The queer thing about it is that the
woman up there saw the 'Red Rover' lying down here yesterday. Then the
boat was gone when she looked again. I don't understand it."

"Some one gave them a tow. Don't you tumble to that?" asked Sam.

"Where to?"

"I give it up. I don't know."

"If nothing has happened them they can't be far away, or the girls
wouldn't have gone up there last night."

"What time were they there, George?"

"Some time after dark. I didn't ask the time. I asked the woman if they
were coming again. She said she didn't know. I told her we would come
back later in the day, and, if she saw either of the girls in the
meantime, to tell them that we wished to know where they are, as we had
something to tell them. It was after dark when they were there. I don't
know what to make of it."

"Well, they are all right, so what's the use in worrying?" asked Larry.

"Yes, they aren't drowned. I haven't any too much confidence in that old
scow. It is likely to spring a leak and go down any old time," declared
Billy Gordon. "I wouldn't trust myself in it over night."

"You are not likely to get t