Captain Ben laughed when he heard this.
"Those men in the motor boat are friends of mine," he said. "They are trying their boat, after having fixed it, and I guess Laddie and Vi asked them for a ride and they're getting a tow."
But just as Captain Ben said this the two men who had been in the front part, or bow, of the motor boat, turned around, and seemed, for the first time, to become aware that they were towing a rowboat with two children in it. One man called to the other, and then the two of them walked back to the stern, where the rope of the rowboat was fastened. Then the motor boat went more slowly.
"I see how it is," said Captain Ben. "When Mr. Thompson and Mr. Wade were in their boat, fixing it, Laddie and Vi must have come up at the stern, making no noise. The children fastened their rowboat to the motor boat and were taken for a ride before they knew it. This is the first my friends knew they had children towing behind them."
LADDIE AND VI WERE BEING TAKEN OUT ON THE BROAD BAY.
This part, at least, seemed to be true, and those on shore could see the two men in the motor boat lifting Laddie and Vi out of the small craft into the larger one. Then the motor boat was headed toward shore, and the two little Bunkers were soon with the rest of the family.
"We gave them a ride without knowing it," said Mr. Thompson, when Laddie and Vi were over their fright at being carried off, as they thought.