"No more houseboat for me," rejoined Eleanor firmly. "Think of the size of the rope that held our anchor and now the boat is secured by a clothes line! I'll walk up and down on the beach all night, but I'll not set foot on the 'Merry Maid'."
"But, Eleanor," protested Lillian, "we are so wet and cold. And it's so dark and lonely."
"I know," agreed Miss Jenny Ann, "yet I feel a good deal as Nellie does."
"We'll freeze to death, or have pneumonia, then," put in Lillian plaintively.
Phil and Madge were talking together in low tones. Madge nodded her head wisely.
"It's worth trying," declared Phil stoutly.
Turning to the chaperon, she said: "Miss Jenny Ann, Madge and I are going back to the boat. We will get our steamer blankets and some matches. If you and the girls will find some wood we will make a fire on the beach. We can dry ourselves, and our fire may be observed in this forsaken place."
"You'll get the blankets wet bringing them here, Madge," remonstrated Lillian. "If only we had not left the 'Water Witch' up at Tom's camp, what a help it would be now!"
"Don't worry," laughed Madge, "just wait and see what Phil and I are going to do."
A light soon shone on the houseboat. Strange sounds of hammering were heard. Miss Jenny Ann, Lillian and Eleanor would have grown impatient if it had not been such slow work to find wood in the forest at night. But they came back to the beach with their arms full several times before a halloo from the houseboat indicated the return of the excursionists.