Sara was waiting beside her boat when Penny and Louise came running along the muddy shore. Without apologizing for being so late, they excitedly related their conversation with Old Noah.
“Say, maybe that hidden motorboat is mine!” the girl exclaimed. “What did it look like?”
“We didn’t take time to search for it,” Penny replied. “We knew you would be waiting so we came straight here.”
“Let’s see if we can find it,” Sara said, starting up the engine.
“Noah’s animals don’t like motorboats,” Louise chuckled. “I suggest we do our searching afoot.”
“All right,” Sara agreed readily, switching the motor off again. “Lead and I’ll follow.”
Penny and Louise guided their companion to the mouth of Bug Run and thence along its slippery banks to a clump of overhanging willows.
“According to Old Noah’s description, this should be the place,” Penny declared, looking about. “No sign of a boat though.”
Sara took off shoes and stockings and waded through the shallow, muddy water. Whenever she came to a clump of bushes, she would pull the branches aside to peer behind them.
“Old Noah may have been spoofing us,” Penny began, but just then Sara gave a little cry.