"Dave owes me a lot more than this for rent," returned Mr. Black. "But we won't have to break any game laws if Saunders sends the fishing tackle I ordered. There are three good meals a day swimming about in our own river."
"What," asked Bettie, "is that net for—the one that Dave left on the beach? Why can't you fish with that?"
"By Jove!" exclaimed Mr. Black, "that is fishing tackle. But that's against the law, too. It's to stretch across the river for trout; but that form of sport isn't permitted. Still——"
"Peter, you wouldn't!" protested Mrs. Crane.
"Sarah, I would—if it were necessary to keep us from hunger. But if I ever do—girls, whatever I do, you must remember about that game warden."
"We will," promised Henrietta.
"We will," chorused the others.
And when the time came, they did; but you shall hear about that after awhile.
The castaways were up bright and early the next morning. For one thing the mosquitoes troubled them; hitherto the light breeze blowing across their camp ground had kept these pests away; but the night had been unusually still and the tantalizing insects had discovered the sleeping campers. For another thing, everybody wanted to be up and as much dressed as possible when the boat or the wagon should come. This uncertainty as to whether relief would arrive by land or approach by water added very considerably to the excitement. It wasn't possible for the girls to do much of anything except to run by turns to the spot whence one could look down the road and to that other spot from which one could view the lake. Unfortunately there was no one spot that commanded both these avenues of approach.
Just at noon, a shrill screech from Marjory, prancing precariously on the edge of the bank, announced that relief was in sight.