The baseball boys of Lakeport

by Edward Stratemeyer

"Perhaps Paul's uncle could tell her. He knows his craft pretty well."

"He might and he might not. Marcy could cut down the mast a little and lengthen the bowsprit, and do things like that, and then nobody would know the boat."

"Well, we nipped the plan in the bud," said Joe. "And the best thing we can do is to get the sloop out on the lake and sail her to Lakeport."

"And win the reward!" cried Fred.

"It wouldn't be fair for us to claim that reward," put in Bart, quickly. "We helped to lose the sloop in the first place."

"Of course. I was only fooling. But we are going to have our hands full getting the sloop out into the lake."

"Let us bring around the rowboat," suggested Joe. "Then we can use a rope and pull her out."

"By rowing?" queried Bart.

"Oh, no, by carrying the rope forward and catching it around a tree."

This was considered a good plan, and Joe went off to get the rowboat. Soon he came up the creek, and as he drew closer they fastened a rope to the stern of the Sprite and threw the other end to him. Then all leaped aboard the rowboat and carried the rope to a tree fifty feet away.