The Outdoor Girls at Rainbow Lake/Chapter 22
CHAPTER XXII
WHAT MOLLIE FOUND
"Did you get—it?"
Betty hesitated a moment over the question.
Will, Frank and Allen stood just outside the tent of the girls. They had come back from a hurried race after the white object that had again disturbed the slumbers of the campers.
"We only had a glimpse of it," answered Will. "Then it seemed to melt into the water."
But it was big," said Frank.
"And made lots of noise," added Allen.
"That's just the way it acted before," declared Mollie.
In dressing gowns, warmly wrapped up, and in slippers, the girls were talking through the opened flap of the tent to Grace's brother and his chums.
"Can you imagine what it may be?" asked Aunt Kate. She had been making chocolate—a seemingly never-failing remedy for night alarms.
"Haven't the least idea," answered Will, "unless it's someone trying to play a so-called practical joke."
"I'd like to get hold of the player," announced Allen. "I'd run him off"
"Off the scale," interrupted Betty, with a laugh.
"That's it," conceded Allen. "Are you girls all right?"
"All but our nerves," answered Grace.
The boys made a search in the gloom, but found nothing, and once more quiet settled down. Nor were they disturbed again that night. In the morning they laughed.
"Oh, but it's hot!" exclaimed Mollie during the forenoon, when the question of dinner was being discussed. "I think we might go for a swim. There's a nice sandy beach at the side of our dock."
"Let's!" proposed Grace. The boys had gone off fishing.
Soon the girls were splashing around in the lake, making a pretty picture in their becoming bathing suits, of which they had more use than they had anticipated.
"Let's try some diving!" proposed Mollie always a daring water sprite. "It's lovely and deep here," and she looked down from the end of the dock.
"I wish I dared dive," said Amy. She was a rather timid swimmer, slow and deliberate, probably able to keep afloat for a long time, but alyays timid in deep water.
"Here goes!" cried impulsive Mollie, as she poised for a flash into the water.
She went down cleanly, but was rather long coming up. Grace and Betty looked anxiously at one another.
"She is" began Betty.
Mollie flashed into sight like a seal.
"I—I found something!" she panted.
"Did you strike bottom?" asked Betty.
"Almost. But that's all right. I'm going down again. There is something down there. Maybe it's the ghost!"
"Oh, do be careful!' cautioned Betty, but Mollie was already in the water. She was longer this time coming up, and Betty was getting nervous. Then Mollie shot into view.
"I—I found it!" she gasped.
"What?" chorused the others.
"The missing canoe those boys have been looking for! It is down there on the bottom, weighted with stones. We will get it up for them!"