Harriet dived off after her, fearing that her little companion might have been stunned by striking the water on her back. But Tommy came up before Harriet rose from her dive.
"Oh, thave me!" wailed Tommy in a choking voice.
All this had happened without the boys understanding what was going on. They had taken aboard their three companions and were pulling into the shadow of the island with all speed. Miss Elting and Jane had run down to the lower deck. The guardian cast a rope. Harriet and Tommy brushed the rope aside and swam easily to the end of the boat, where Harriet assisted Tommy up, afterwards being herself assisted aboard by Crazy Jane. The two thoroughly soaked girls staggered into the cabin, where Harriet sat down on the floor, laughing hysterically.
Miss Elting pulled down the shades and lighted the lamp. She stood regarding her charges with a quizzical twinkle in her eyes.
"What a mess! What a mess," laughed Crazy Jane. "But we repelled the boarders, didn't we, darlin'?"
"They won't try to play any tricks on us after this, I am sure," agreed the guardian. "I'll warrant they are still wondering what happened to them. But it was too bad. What a wetting they did get!"
"Too bad!" exploded Harriet.
"No. It served them right," interjected Hazel. "Why, they might have frightened us to death."
"They will be at our feet to-morrow," giggled Jane. "Tommy, did you ever have any one fall at your feet!"
"Yeth. You know Jake Thpooner? Well, he had a conniption fit, one day, in the thtreet, and fell down right at my feet."