Part 21 (2/2)

”Sure,” said Chet, quickly. ”We'll leave Art, if you say so. He rather admires Lil, too, Purt.”

This made the dude keep still; but he _did_ dislike this ”manhunt” in the thick brush of Acorn Island.

After they had gone half a mile or so, and found nothing--not even a trace of anybody else having camped on the island--they all took the situation more cheerfully. They believed whoever had stolen the girls'

food had already departed.

”Some of these fancy city fishermen, like enough,” Chet declared, when they all came together at the western point of the island. ”See yonder! there are two men in a boat, fis.h.i.+ng, now.”

”If they were the robbers they would not boldly anchor off there,” his sister said.

”True enough, Laura,” said Bobby. ”I believe that whoever stole from us, is far away now. And everybody who comes to the lake knows that it is forbidden to camp on Acorn Island. The guides all know it.”

”How about what Liz says about the man she saw last evening?” demanded Jess. ”She says he was a man she knew in Albany.”

”She had been talking to me about him,” laughed Laura, ”and I guess he was in her mind. Why should such a man come and rob our camp?”

”Well! it's a mystery,” Chet said. ”But I reckon you'll not be bothered again; the island seems empty save for ourselves.”

But later they thought that they might have been a little more careful in searching the upper end of Acorn Island.

CHAPTER XIV

”MORE FUN THAN A LITTLE”

The girls were tired enough when they got back from the search; and it being an hour before dinner, Mrs. Morse advised them all to retire to the sleeping tent and lie down.

However, it was too sultry for that, and they chose to put on bathing suits and take a second dip to cool off. The boys had their bathing suits, too, and the party had twenty minutes of fun in the lake, with Mrs. Morse sitting on a rock in the shade and enjoying the pranks.

Lil's bathing suit was very resplendent, and so was Purt's. They were so much better dressed than anybody else that Bobby declared she was ashamed to be seen in their company--so she dove under the water.

The cut-up had the power of remaining beneath the surface a long time, and she crawled on the bottom to where Lil and Purt stood, waist deep in the water, without being observed.

Suddenly Purt yelled, dropped Lil's hand, and grabbed at the calf of his right leg. ”A crab's got me!” he bawled.

”A crab in fresh water?” jeered Billy Long. ”That's a new one!”

”It's one of those horrid snapping turtles!” shrieked Lil, and started for the sh.o.r.e. Not quickly enough, however, to escape Bobby's thumb and finger.

”It's that horrid Bobby Hargrew!” gasped Lil, seeing the black-eyed one shoot up from beneath, and take a long breath.

”Aw, Miss Hargrew!” begged Purt. ”Don't bother us so. It's weally too bad of you.”

”Then act human!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Bobby. ”Don't you two stand around as though you were fas.h.i.+on pictures in the magazines. Duck under and get your hair wet! You'll both get a sunstroke,” and in pa.s.sing them she managed to tip Lil right over backward--and that beautiful bathing suit never _did_ look as well after it was all wet!

They had dinner before Lance and Reddy returned from their errand. It had already been agreed that the boys should stay all day at Acorn Island and not return to their own camp until after supper.

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