“But it isn’t hard to learn. I can show them how to balance in a few trials. Do you want to try after breakfast, Zan?” returned Fred.
“Oh, I’d love it!” cried Zan.
So breakfast was quickly disposed of because the girls anticipated great sport with the plane. Billy was detailed to steer the launch while Fred showed the girls how to balance and guide the ropes to make the aqua-plane skim lightly over the waves.
After many upsets and great shouting and excitement, the girls could manage the plane quite well. Then as the young engineer increased the speed of the launch and the plane fairly flew over the water, the riders felt as if they were aviators, the sense of the rest for their feet disappearing in the dizzy pace with which they sped over the surf.
“I thought you folks wanted to hunt up the lost boys?” called Miss Miller, when she thought the girls had had enough of the drenching sport for that morning.
“So we will, now that we can take turns on the plane as we go alongshore,” called back Zan.
“We’ll have to draw lots for the pleasure—there are too many here to ride on the way down,” said Fred.
The lot was chosen by having each girl draw a blade of grass from the Guide’s hand. The shortest piece would win. It fell to Elizabeth, and the other girls all said it was a reward for her sacrifice of enjoying the fun while the others were practising.
The girls who were to hike were just ready to start out when a canoe shot around the point of the promontory and a voice bawled out:
“Well, I must say! A lot of fine friends Jack and I have!”