"What is it, dear?" asked Miss Elting in a low voice.
"I heard a shout. There is it again. Did you hear?"
The guardian and the other girls nodded.
"It isn't far from here. May I go down to the end of the creek and find out what it means?"
"Wait a moment." The guardian turned down the light, then stepped out to the after deck, followed by the girls. From the deck they could hear the shouts much more plainly, but the shouters were too far away to make it possible to distinguish what they were saying.
"Yes, you may go, but do nothing imprudent," added Miss Elting.
"I will try not to do so."
"May I go with you, Harriet?" asked Jane.
"Perhaps it would be better for me to go alone." Miss Elting agreed with this, fearing that the girls might begin to laugh or talk and thus attract attention to themselves. Harriet quickly got the rowboat and began pushing her way down through the overhanging foliage that smote her in the face with every move of the oar.
The night was very dark. She had to feel her way along, but even at that the boat frequently bumped into the bank. Reaching the lake, she paused to look and listen. Not more than ten rods above she saw lights on the shore of the island and a light on the water. A motor boat chugged a few times, the plash of an oar followed, then more shouts.