“So did I,” said Harry, “and we have several miles to go.”
“It don’t make no difference to me when I git back,” remarked Blumpo, dolefully.
“Don’t worry, Blumpo. Think of the good time we are going to have when we go camping,” said Jerry.
“And I must ask father for a regular situation for you when we come back from our outing,” added Harry.
“Will you?” and the homeless boy’s face brightened.
The wind had been increasing steadily, and now it blew so strongly that the whitecaps were to be seen in every direction.
“We’re going to have no easy time getting back,” said Jerry, with an anxious look on his manly face. “Maybe we may be caught in a hurricane.”
“It’s hot enough,” returned Harry. “Such oppressive heat generally means something.”
A mile was covered, and then the wind began to send the flying spray in every direction and filled the row-boat’s bottom with water.
“Wet again!” laughed Jerry, grimly. “Never mind.”
“Blumpo, you had better bail out the boat,” said Harry. He was as wet as the rest, but did not grumble.
While the homeless youth bailed out the water with a dipper they had brought along, Jerry and Harry pulled at the oars with all their remaining strength. Another mile was passed. But now it was blowing a regular hurricane and no mistake.
“We’ll go to the bottom, suah!” groaned Blumpo dismally.
“Not much!” shouted Jerry. “Keep on bailing.”
“Look! look!” yelled Harry at that moment, and pointed over to the centre of the lake.
There, beating up in the teeth of the wind in the most hap-hazard manner, was the Cutwater. Evidently Clarence Conant was nearly paralyzed with fear, for he had almost lost control of the craft.
“Those ladies on board are worse off than we,” went on Harry.
But the words were hardly out of his mouth when there came an extra puff of wind. It sent the Cutwater almost over on her side, and threw a monstrous wave into the row-boat.
The smaller craft could not stand the wind and waves, and with a lurch, she sank down and went over, dumping all three of the youths into the angry lake.
It was no pleasant position to be in. The three lads had been cast so suddenly into the angry waters that for the moment they could not comprehend the situation.
He was wrong, however, for a second later the row-boat bobbed up, less than four yards off.