The latter refused to own to any fear of the water. Up here in the river the waves were seldom of any consequence, and of course on stormy days the girls would not go bathing at all.
Others of the Willowbend campers had rowboats for the season; and some even owned their own motorboats. The girls were well advised regarding fishing-tackle and the like. Crabbing was a favorite sport just then, for several small creeks emptied into the river nearby and soft-shell crabs and shedders were plentiful.
"I'd be afraid of these crabs if their teeth were hard," Dot declared, for she insisted that the "pincers" of the crustaceans were teeth.
"They are dreadfully _squirmy_, anyway," sighed Tess. "Just like spiders. And yet, we eat them!"
"But--but I always shut my eyes when I eat them; just as I do when I swallow raw oysters," confessed Dot. "They taste so much better than they look!"
Having the boat, the Corner House girls rowed to the village for their supplies and to visit their friends. They did not go to the Overlook House; but Pearl Harrod and her party were at the burned bungalow almost all day. They always bathed there, and the Corner House girls went down to bathe with them. The beach was better there than at the camp.
It was Monday when Ruth Kenway and her sisters were established in their tent. On Thursday of that week they rowed over to Spoondrift bungalow in the morning. Pearl greeted them before they got ashore with:
"Oh, Ruth! The funniest thing has happened. You'd never guess."
"Trix Severn has the mumps!" exclaimed Agnes. "I knew she was all swelled up."
"Not as good as _that_," laughed Pearl. "But worse may happen to that girl than mumps. However, it's nothing to do with Trix."
"What is it?" asked Ruth, calmly. "I'm not a good guesser, Pearl."
"If they _are_ Gypsies," said Ruth, doubtfully.
"Of course they are!" cried Pearl. "Well, they've been around here looking for you."
"For goodness' sake!" gasped Agnes. "What for?"
Ruth herself looked startled. But Pearl began to laugh again.
"At least, that queer old woman has been asking for you," she explained.
"Zaliska!" exclaimed Ruth, although she was very sure that was not the person's name. Of course the name was part of the strange girl's masquerade.