Through the mist now rising out of the water a boat approached from the town side of the slough. It carried a dozen Eagle Islanders who worked at the sawmills, and were returning home for the night.
“I’ll go and ask them to take us over,” volunteered Tom.
“No, I’ll go,” cried Ned. “They’ll listen quicker to a fellow with one arm.”
The islanders landed some distance above the little party, and tumbled out so quickly that by the time Ned had arrived all but one had trudged into the woods. This one was bending over, fastening the boat.
“Hello,” hailed Ned. “Can’t you please take us over the slough? We’ve lost our boat.”
But the man only grunted, and shook his head; and picking up his dinner bucket and coat, and the oars, stolidly tramped away.
Ned, indignant, examined the boat’s chain, with the hot idea of using the craft, anyway; but he found that it was padlocked.
He went back to his companions, who had been eagerly watching, and reported.
“Oh, dear, what shall we do?” wailed Zu-zu, beginning to be dismal from the mist and the shadows, and the suspicion that everybody but them was going to supper.
“We’ll yell like everything, and attract some one’s attention on the other side,” proposed Ned.