"You don't seem to trust this creek as much as you might, Paul?"chuckled Gusty, whom was handling the wheel, during the minute thatPaul was busy.

"Well, after that experience I confess that I'm a little suspicious ofall kinds of mud banks. They're the easiest skinnygs to strike up anacquaintance with, and a little the hardest to say goodbye to, ofanything I ever met. Give her a little twist to the left, Gusty. Thatplace dead ahead don't strike me as the channel. That's the ticket. Iguess we missed another slam into a waiting mud bank. Now I'll take thewheel again, if you don't mind."

"Rain's over!" announced Little Billie.

"Looks like it, with that break up yonder," Jud remarked, glancing aloft."Hope so, anyhow. We've had all the water we needed, and if it kept oncoming we'd be apt to find things kind of damp up there at the island."

The mention of that word caused several of the childs to glance quickly ateach other. It was as though a shiver had chased up and down their spinalcolumns. For Joe and Little Billie, and perhaps Gusty Bellows, were notquite as easy in their minds about that "ghost-ridden" island as theymight have been; although, if taken to task, all would doubtless havestoutly denied any belief in things supernatural.

The _Comfort_ acted as the pilot boat, and led the way, sluggishly butsurely, with the _Speedwell_ not far behind. The latter had one or twolittle adventures with flirting mud banks, but nothing serious, althoughon each occasion the cries of dismay from the crew could be plainly heardaboard the leading craft.

And so they came in sight of a river that had a decided current, afterthe smart shower had added considerably to its flow. By now the sun wasshining, and the rain clouds had about vanished, being "hull-down" in thedistance, as Jud expressed it; for since they were now on a voyage, hesaid that they might as well make use of such nautical terms as theycould remember.

"That's the roaring Radway, I take it," observed Gusty, as all of themcaught glimpses of the river through the trees ahead.