They tried it, but there was still too much water in the tanks, so Sam built a fire on shore, and shortly after Harriet and Jane were busily engaged in getting breakfast, while the boys worked steadily in the houseboat.

Finding nails, saw and hammer, they patched up the broken door and hung it back in place.

Then they removed all the supplies that had been left aboard and began cleaning up.

They bailed the remaining water out, also shoveling out the gravel and the sand, after which they scrubbed the floor and the walls to a height of about three feet from the floor, where the water had left a dark line on the white woodwork.
An hour after the visiting boys had begun their work the cabin was ready for occupancy again, but the quilts, sheets and blankets were still wet.
A larger fire was built.

The boys rigged a clothes line about the campfire and assisted the girls to hang up the wet bedding.