Getting back home wasn’t quite so simple as it seemed to be when they first thought of it. They couldn’t use the sail because what slight breeze there was, was against them. The big raft was an awkward thing to tow, and as they struggled with the problem, one of the Landry boys came pop-pop-popping along side in his motor boat.
“What are you kids trying to do now,” he inquired. And then, without waiting for an answer, he said, “Throw me a line and I’ll tow you home.” It was wonderfully simple. The motor boat led the way, then the board raft with Billy on a cracker box, and last of all the big raft with Janie sitting proudly on a cracker box in the center and Davey dragging his feet in the water at the back.
They put the big raft just where it belonged and then pop-popped into shore behind the motor boat. “Thank you, thank you,” they cried as they reached the pier. The Landry boy grinned and waved his arm. “Think nothing of it,” he said. “You can do the same for me some time when I’m ship wrecked.”
The lagoon in the front yard was beginning to dry up, so they dismantled their board raft at the pier. Mom came down to greet them.
“At the risk of being unpopular,” she said, “I’ll have to remind you to put all that stuff back where it came from.”
Janie and Bill groaned. “Can’t we do it after we eat? We’re so hungry!”
“No. Clean up right away, and then you won’t have to come back to it.”
Davey didn’t mind. “Let’s get the wheelbarrow,” he said. “We’ll load all the stuff on it, and you can push, Billy, and I’ll ride on top.”
Mom laughed at the dismay on Billy’s face, and she tousled his hair. “No, Davey,” she said. “Billy is the strong man of the family, but he isn’t St. Christopher. If each one of you will take a load back to the garage you’ll be finished in five minutes. I want you to hurry for another reason too. Lunch is ready, and Mrs. Williams sent two freezing trays of ice-cream over for James. Perhaps you could help him eat it.”
“Oh, boy,” said Billy, and he and Jane ran for the wheelbarrow. Davey was given the cracker boxes to take back to the garage, and before ten minutes were up they had finished and were gathered around the table.