chapter 16 out on the raft

there were four little paddles. dick got them, and gave everyone one each. timmy looked downsolemnly at the raft. what was it? surely he was not expected to ride on that bobbing, floating thing?

julian was on the raft already, holding it steady for the others. he helped anne on and then georgestepped down. dick came last - well, not quite last, because timmy was not yet on.

'come on, tim!' said george. 'it's all right! it's not the kind of boat you're used to, but it acts in thesame way. come on, timmy!'

timmy jumped down and the raft bobbed violently. anne sat down suddenly with a giggle. 'oh dear -timmy is so sudden! keep still, tim - there isn't enough room on this raft for you to walk all over it.'

julian pushed the raft out of the boat-house. it knocked against the wooden ledge as it went, and thenswung out on to the backwater outside. it floated very smoothly.

'here we go!' said julian, paddling deftly. 'i'll steer, dick. none of you need to paddle till i say so. ican paddle and steer at the moment, till we get on to the lake itself.'

they were all sitting on the raft except timmy, who was standing up. he was very interested inseeing the water flow past so quickly. was this a boat then? he was used to boats - but in boats thewater was never quite so near. timmy put out a paw into the water. it was pleasantly cool and tickledhim. he lay down with his nose almost in the water.

'you're a funny dog, timmy!' said anne. 'you won't get up too suddenly, will you, or you'll knockme overboard.'

julian paddled down the little backwater and the raft swung out on to the lake itself. the childrenlooked to see if there was any sign of maggie and dirty dick.

'there they are!' said julian. 'out in the middle, rowing hard. shall we follow them? if they knowwhere the saucy jane is they'll lead us to it.'

'yes. follow them,' said dick. 'shall we paddle now? we'll have to be quick or we may lose them.'

they all paddled hard, and the raft suddenly swung to and fro in a most alarming manner.

'hey, stop!' shouted julian. 'you're all paddling against one another. we're going round in 65circles. dick and anne go one side and george the other. that's better. watch how we're going, all ofyou, and stop paddling for a moment if the raft swings round too much.'

they soon got into the way of paddling so that the raft went straight ahead. it was fun. they got veryhot and wished they could take off their jerseys. the sun was quite warm, and there was no wind atall - it was really a perfect october afternoon.

'they've stopped rowing,' said george, suddenly. 'they're looking at something - do you supposethey have got a bit of paper like the one we have, with the same marks, and are examining it? i wish icould see!'

they all stopped paddling and looked towards the boat in which maggie and dirty dick sat.

they were certainly examining something very carefully - their heads were close together. but theywere too far away for the children to see if they were holding a piece of paper.

'come on - we'll get as close to them as we can!' said julian, beginning to paddle again. 'i expect itwill make them absolutely mad to see us so close, but we can't help that!'

they paddled hard again, and at last came up to the boat. timmy barked. maggie and dirty dick atonce looked round and saw the raft and the four children. they stared at them savagely.

'hallo!' cried dick, waving a paddle. 'we took the raft out. it goes well. does your boat go all right?'

maggie went red with rage. 'you'll get into trouble for taking that raft without permission,' sheshouted.

'whose permission did you ask when you took that boat?' shouted back julian. 'tell us and we'll asktheir permission to use this raft!'

george laughed. maggie scowled, and dirty dick looked as if he would like to throw his oars atthem.

'keep away from us!' he shouted. 'we don't want you kids spoiling our afternoon!'

'we like to be friendly!' called dick, and made george laugh again.

maggie and dirty dick had a hurried and angry conversation. they glared at the raft and thenmaggie gave an order to dirty dick. he took up the oars again, and began to row, looking rathermutinous.

'come on - follow,' said julian, so the four began to paddle again following after the boat.

'maybe we'll learn something now.'

but they didn't. dirty dick rowed the boat towards the west bank, and the raft followed. then he 66swung out into the middle again, and again the raft followed, the children panting in their efforts tokeep up.

dirty dick rowed right across to the east bank and stayed there till the children came up. then herowed off again.

'having some nice exercise, aren't you?' called the woman in her harsh voice. 'so good for you all!'

the boat swung out to the middle of the lake again. dick groaned. 'blow! my arms are so tired i canhardly paddle. what are they doing?'

'i'm afraid they're just leading us on a wild goose chase,' said julian, ruefully. 'they have evidentlymade up their minds that they won't look for the saucy jane while we're about - they're just tiring usout!'

'well, if that's what they're doing i'm not playing!' said dick, and he put down his paddle and lay flaton his back, his knees drawn up, panting hard.

the others did the same. they were all tired. timmy licked each one sympathetically and then satdown on george. she pushed him off so violently that he nearly fell into the water.

'timmy! right on my middle!' cried george, surprised and indignant. 'you great clumsy dog, you!'

timmy licked her all over, shocked at being scolded by george. she was too exhausted to push himaway.

'what's happened to the boat?' asked anne at last. 'i'm too tired to sit up and see.'

julian sat up, groaning. 'oh my back! now where is that wretched boat? oh, there it is - right awaydown the lake, making for the landing-place by the house - or for the boat-house probably.

they've given up the search for the saucy jane for the time being anyway.'

'thank goodness,' said anne. 'perhaps we can give it up too - till tomorrow anyhow! stop snufflingdown my neck, timmy. what do you want us to do, julian?'

'i think we'd better get back,' said julian. 'it's too late now to start searching the banks of the lake- and anyway somehow i think it wouldn't be much use. the two in the boat didn't appear to be goinganywhere near the banks - except when they began to play that trick on us to make us tired out!'

'well, let's get back then,' said george. 'but i simply must have a rest first. timmy, i shall push youinto the water if you keep sitting on my legs.'

67

there was a sudden splash. george sat up in alarm. timmy was not on the raft! he was swimming inthe water, looking very pleased with himself.

'there! he thought he'd rather jump in than be pushed,' said dick, grinning at george. 'you pushedhim in!' said george, looking fierce.

'i didn't,' said dick. 'he just took a header. he's having a jolly good time. i say - what about putting arope round him and getting him to pull us to shore? it would save an awful lot of paddling.'

george was just about to say what she thought of that idea, when she caught dick's sly grin. shekicked out at him. 'don't keep baiting me, dick. i'll push you in, in a minute.'

'like to try?' asked dick, at once. 'come on. i'd like a wrestle to see who'd go into the water first.'

george, of course, always rose to a challenge. she never could resist one. she was up in a momentand fell on dick, who very nearly went overboard at once.

'shut up, you two!' said julian, crossly. 'we haven't got a change of clothing, you know that. and idon't want to take you back with bronchitis or pneumonia. stop it, george.'

george recognized the tone in his voice and she stopped. she ran her hand through her short curlsand gave a sudden grin.

'all right, teacher!' she said, and sat down meekly. she picked up her paddle.

julian picked up his. 'we'll get back,' he said. 'the sun's sinking low. it seems to slide down the skyat a most remarkable speed in october.'

they took a very wet timmy on board and began to paddle back. anne thought it was a truly lovelyevening. she gazed dreamily round as she paddled. the lake was a wonderful dark blue, and theripples they made turned to silver as they ran away from the raft. two moor-hens said'crek-crek' and swam round the raft in curiosity, their heads bobbing like clockwork.

anne gazed over the tops of the trees that grew at the lake-side. the sky was turning pink. away inthe distance, on a high slope about a mile away she saw something that interested her.

it looked like a high stone. she pointed at it. 'look, julian,' she said. 'what's that stone? is it aboundary mark, or something? it must be very big.'

julian looked where she was pointing. 'where?' he said. 'oh, that. i can't imagine what it is.'

'it looks like a very tall stone,' said dick, suddenly catching sight of it too.

'a tall stone,' repeated anne, wondering where she had heard that before. 'a tall... oh, of course!

68

it was printed on that plan, wasn't it - on the piece of paper dick was given. tall stone! don't youremember?'

'yes. so it was,' said dick and he stared at the faraway stone monument with interest. then as the raftswung onwards, high trees hid the stone. it was gone.

'tall stone,' said julian. 'it may be only a coincidence, of course. it wants a bit of thinking about,though. funny we should suddenly spot it.'

'would the loot be buried there?' asked george, doubtfully. julian shook his head. 'oh, no,' he said, 'itis probably hidden in some position explained by that mysterious map. paddle up, everyone! wereally must get back.'