Barely had they taken cover when the motorboat came into view, heading for the little cove. There Claude Harper recaptured the runaway rowboat, tying it to the stern of the other craft.
Suddenly Penny was dismayed as she realized that in their flight, a most important detail had been overlooked.
“The oars!” she whispered. “They’re wet!”
“Maybe the men won’t see,” Sally said hopefully. “We left them half covered by the canvas.”
Intent only upon returning to the pier, Claude Harper and his companion failed to notice anything amiss. Apparently assuming the boat had been carelessly tied and had drifted away under its own power, they were not suspicious.
“That was a narrow squeak,” Penny sighed in relief as the motorboat with the other craft in tow finally disappeared around the bend. “The oars will quickly dry in the sun, so I guess we’re safe.”
Now that they were well out of trouble, the adventure seemed fun. Penny glanced at her wristwatch, observing that it was past four o’clock.
“Jack will be waiting for me,” she said to Sally. “I’ll have to hurry.”
“We’ll have plenty of time,” Sally returned carelessly. “You usually can count on Jack being half an hour late for appointments.”
Walking swiftly along the deserted shore, the girls discussed what they had overheard at the Harpers.