Laura burst into tears. “Oh, please don’t,” she begged. “I’m frightened to death.”
“We won’t go, Laura dear,” Maida reassured her, “don’t worry.” She continued after an interval of thought, “And don’t let’s tell Granny Flynn and Mrs. Dore about that screaming. Let’s say that our lunch was stolen while we were away. If I tell them all of it, they won’t let us go on another picnic.”
“Well, believe me, I don’t want to go on another picnic,” Laura said, her eyes streaming still.
However, by the time they had reached the jetty and had tethered the canoes, they were more composed. When they reached the Little House even Laura had begun to smile, to admit that the tramp theory was probably the correct one.
Granny Flynn and Mrs. Dore looked very much concerned when they heard the story. They asked many questions. Finally they decided with Arthur that tramps were the answer to the strange happening. Maida persisted though that tramps were never permitted in Satuit.
The next morning Arthur strolled down to the lake alone. In a little while, he came running back white with rage. “What do you suppose has happened?” he called while still running up the trail. “We didn’t lock the canoes in the boathouse last night and somebody has made a great hole in all four of them.”
The Big Six rushed down to the Magic Mirror. It was only too true. Four of their canoes were ruined. The children stood staring at them, horrified.
“I don’t think tramps would do this,” Arthur said slowly. “They’d steal them, but there’d be no sense in destroying them.”
“No,” Maida said slowly. “This looks as though we had an enemy who is determined to make us as unhappy as possible.”