"I say, young ladies, will you stop a minute? We want to speak to you."
Betty never turned her head, but gazed on down the river as thoughintent on not grounding on a sand bar, or running into an alligator.Her chums followed her example, but Grace could not forbear giving themen one glance.
"They're talking together," she reported in a low voice.
"Let 'em talk--as long as they don't talk to us," answered Mollie.
The men seemed to have decided on something after a conference, for theone who had first hailed the girls now called again:
"I say, young ladies, we don't mean to be impolite or to bother you, butwe're looking for a boat, and----"
"This boat isn't for sale," said Betty in non-committal tones. "We haveno time to stop."
"But you don't understand," cried the man, seemingly growing desperate."One of our boats was taken last night by a young fellow, and he camedown the river. We followed him, but we must have passed him in thenight. Now we're on our way back. He may have hid in some bayou, and beon his way down farther up stream. All we wanted to know was if you hadseen a tall young fellow, with blue eyes, in a small skiff?"
Betty returned no answer. It was not a question, strictly speaking. Themen had merely said they wanted to know, and Betty saw no reason forgratifying their "want."
"Hey, can't you stop and answer a civil question?" cried the second man,and his voice was angry. "If you don't we may----"
Betty's cheeks flushed. Without turning her head she answered:
"You'd better be careful how you make threats. We are from Mr.Stonington's orange grove, and Mr. Hammond----"
"There, I knew you'd make a mess of it, Bill!" said the other man--theone who had first spoken--and he turned accusingly to his companion.
"Well, I don't care--why don't they answer? I'll wager they've seen thatfellow and won't tell."
"Why shouldn't they tell?" asked the first man in a low voice, but heforgot how well even low tones carry over the water. "They are strangershere I am certain. They can't know 'The Loon,' and so we're perfectlysafe in questionin' 'em."
"Yes, but they won't answer. Git over closer and maybe we can make 'em!"
"Oh!" gasped Grace, startled.
"They'd better not try!" cried Mollie with a sparkle in her eyes. "We'renot very far from home, and this boat can go twice as fast as theirs."
"Don't be alarmed," said Betty. "I've got some speed in reserve yet."
The men consulted together again. They had put their boat about now, andwere coming down after the _Gem_. But it was easy to see they had nospeed.
"I say!" called out the man who had first hailed. "Won't you tell us ifyou've seen a ragged lad in a boat? We don't mean any harm. Just stop aminute!"
"We have no time!" said Betty sharply, "and if you persist in followingus----"
"Say, look here!" blustered the second man, "if you gals don't----"
"Now let up on that line, Bill!" cautioned the other. "We don't mean anyharm," he proceeded. "My friend here is a bit rough----"
"I'm no rougher than you!" retorted his companion.
"We're willing to pay for the information," went on the first man. "Itwon't take but a minute----"
But Betty stayed to hear no more. She opened wide the throttle of hermotor, and the _Gem_ shot ahead, leaving the other craft far behind.There was some evidence in the quicker staccato exhaust of the pursuingboat that the occupants tried to get more speed out of her, but theyfailed, and a little later Amy, turning around, saw them circling backup stream.
One man stood up and shook his fist vindictively at the girls. Gracegasped as she saw this.
"Oh, I am sure they mean us some harm!" she cried.
"Nonsense!" asserted Betty. "We're far enough off now."
"But if we come out again?" Amy suggested.
"I think we will take one of the young men from the orange cratefactory," suggested Mollie. "Mr. Hammond will spare us one, I'm sure,and it would be too bad if we had to give up our trips on the river justbecause some men are hunting a fugitive."
"And I wonder what they want of him?" asked Grace. "He seemed harmlessenough."
"They said he had their boat," supplied Amy.
"Yes, that was probably to escape in," suggested Grace. "He was goingfor help for someone. Maybe a friend of his was hurt. I wish someonecould take help to my brother. Oh, it's dreadful to think he may be inneed of it, and that we are unable to get to him."
"It certainly is," agreed Betty. "But fretting will do no good. We mayhave news of him any time now."
A little later the girls tied up at the orange grove dock. They madelight of their adventures, even the one with the sea cow, and did notmention the ragged youth at all, except to say a stranger had recoveredtheir boat for them.
"For there is no need of telling too many persons that we saw him," saidBetty later. "Some of the hands might hear of it and, without meaningto, betray his secret."
"But we don't know where he went," said Grace.
"No, and I don't want to--then we can't tell under any circumstances.We'll just keep quiet about it."
For a day or so the girls did not venture far from the bungalow on theriver, but soon they tired of comparative inactivity and planned alittle cruise, down stream this time, past Lake Chad, and up anotherriver that emptied into it.
"But you'd better take one of my young helpers along," suggested Mr.Hammond, when the girls made known their plan. "There have been a coupleof suspicious characters hanging around of late, and I don't want you totake any chances. I'll give you a young fellow you can depend on."
CHAPTER XVII
IN DANGER
The girls looked at one another on hearing Mr. Hammond's warning. Thesame thought was in the mind of each.
"What--what kind of suspicious characters were they?" asked Betty.
"Oh, just the usual kind," replied the overseer. "I don't want to alarmyou, and you needn't be afraid. They're mostly a cowardly set thatalways congregate around where a lot of work is going on, hoping to getmoney without labor, either by some form of chance game, or bydeliberately taking advantage of some of the simple-minded coloredhands. I ordered these two away a couple of times, and I'll do more thanthat the next time I see 'em."
"Did they--did they come in a motor boat?" faltered Mollie.
"I didn't notice. But they weren't the kind of fellows I want hangingaround here, especially when pay-day comes. But don't think any more ofwhat I said. I'm going to give you a young fellow to accompany you. Heknows the river and the region around like a book, and anyone who triesto bother you when you're out he'll make short work of. He's a sort ofdeputy constable."
"Why do you think--I mean, in what way do you think anyone might try tobother us?" asked Betty.
"Oh, various ways. They might try to sell you a lot of useless trinkets,knowing you're from the North. Fancy shells, sea beans, curios and thelike of that. You see, there isn't much ready money floating aroundamong the poor people here. Even some of the scattered Seminoles--orwhat were once Seminole Indians--try to make a living selling trinketsthey make themselves, and if they thought you had money they wouldbecome annoying. But Tom Osborne will see to 'em, all right. He knows alot of 'em. When are you going?"
"Oh, in about an hour," answered Grace. "We're going to take our lunchand stay all day."
"That will suit Tom fine. He's very fond of--lunch!" and Mr. Hammondlaughed.
"Doesn't he like--girls?" asked Mollie, with a blush.
"You can tell that better than I after you've met him. He's one of mybookkeepers, and a fine young fellow. I'll send him along to you."
"But maybe we ought not to take him from his work," suggested Betty,feeling that perhaps Mr. Stonington would not like the operation of hisorange business interfered with by the pleasure of herself and herfriends.
"Oh, I'll make it all right with uncle," laughed Amy. "We must enjoyourselves while we're here."
"You needn't worry," spoke Mr. Hammond with a laug
h. "Tom will be gladto come, and the worst of the rush is over now. Just consider him yourescort, and he'll do anything you want, from catching an alligator togetting your meals. He's a handy young fellow, Tom is, and he knows allthe streams about here."
While the overseer was gone to summon the young man, the girls preparedfor the little outing. They had put up a lunch, or, rather, Aunt Hannah,the genial colored "mammy" had done it for them, putting in plenty offried chicken and corn bread.
"Perhaps we'd better have more," suggested Mollie, to Aunt Hannah, whenthe fact of Tom Osborne going along was mentioned.
"Bress yo' he'at, honey!" exclaimed the buxom cook, "I done put inenough fo' two mo' gen'men if yo'all would laik t' take 'em along.Don't yo'all worry!"
"No, I think one young man will be sufficient," laughed Betty. "Only Ididn't want him to go hungry, and I know the appetites of my friends."
"Speak for yourself, if you please!" chided Mollie. "You eat as much asany of us."
"I wonder if those two suspicious characters Mr. Hammond spoke of couldbe the ones who followed us in the boat?" asked Amy, to change thesubject.
"They _could_ have been," remarked Grace, "but I wouldn't want to thinkso."
"Why not?" asked Mollie.
"Because it would show that they were still following us."
"Perhaps it was unwise that I told them where we were from," said Betty,"but I did it for the best. I didn't want them to think that we had nofriends near at hand."
"Of course," rejoined Amy. "You meant it all right. And they may nothave been the same ones at all. Mr. Hammond did not say they madeinquiries for us, or for that poor young fellow. What was it they calledhim--'The Duck?'"
"'Loon--loon!'" corrected Betty, with a laugh.
"Well, I knew it was some kind of a bird," asserted Amy. "I wonder whythey called him that?"
"A loon is supposed to be a crazy sort of a bird," went on Betty, "and,come to think of it, that poor chap didn't look very bright. Maybe hewas half-witted, and that's why they called him The Loon."
"Well, he knew enough to shoot the manatee, and get our boat for us,"defended Grace. "I don't think he was very stupid."
"Oh, I don't mean it that way," said Betty quickly. "I only suggestedthat perhaps those mean men--I'm sure they were mean--might have calledhim that to suit their own purposes. But I think we are well rid ofthem, anyhow. Here comes Mr. Hammond, and that must be Tom with him,"and she indicated two figures approaching.
"Oh, are you going to call him Tom?" gasped Grace.
"I don't see why not," was the calm answer. "He looks just like the sortof a nice young chap whom one would call Tom."
"Betty Nelson!" cried Mollie. "I'm going to tell----"
"Hush!" commanded the Little Captain, quickly. "I haven't done it yet."
Mr. Hammond presented the young man, who seemed quite at his ease underthe scrutiny of four pairs of eyes--pretty eyes, all of them, too.
"You needn't worry when Tom is along," said the overseer with a laugh,as he named each of the girls in turn. "Now go off and have a good time.I depend on you, Tom, to bring them safely back."
"I will, Mr. Hammond. Are you ready, young ladies?" and he smiled atthem.
The girls started for the boat, into which a colored boy had already putthe baskets of lunch. Somehow or other Betty naturally fell into stepbeside Tom. She looked up at him frankly and said:
"Mr. Hammond told us your last name, but I have forgotten it, I'mashamed to say."
"It's Osborne. But I'd rather you'd call me Tom, if you don't mind.Everyone does around here--that is, all my friends, of course," he addedquickly.
"Then we'd like to be your friends," said Betty with a smile, and a calmlook at Mollie, who was making signs behind Tom's back. Obvious signsthey were, too. Betty looked triumphant, as though saying: "There,didn't I tell you?"
Tom Osborne proved that he knew something about motor boats, and wasalso versed in the ways of making girls comfortable. He asked if theywanted him to steer, and as Betty had not taken her craft down the riververy often she agreed. The girls sat on the after deck, under awide-spread awning, and chatted of the sights they saw.
They emerged into Lake Chad, skirted its shores and swept into the riverbeyond. They passed several other power craft and one or two houseboatsin which were gay parties.
At the suggestion of Tom, they decided to go up a little side stream towhere he said was a pleasant place to eat lunch, and this they reachedabout noon.
"Now, if you girls want to walk about and see what there is to be seen,"he told them, "I'll get out the victuals and set the table on the grassunder that tree," and he indicated it. "I'll call you when I'm ready."
Betty and her chums assented, and Tom proceeded to set out the luncheon.The girls strolled on for some distance, and Mollie, attracted by someflowers on the end of a small spit of land, extending for some distanceinto the stream, walked toward them, the others following.
They picked many blossoms, and were watching a pair of large turtleswhen Amy, glancing toward the main land, which was reached by crossinga narrow neck of sand, uttered a cry of alarm.
"Look!" she gasped, pointing to two long, black objects stretched rightacross the narrow place. "Alligators! Two big ones!"
It was only too true. The girls' way back was blocked.
CHAPTER XVIII
BETWEEN TWO PERILS
"What--what are we going to do?" gasped Grace. She, as Betty saidafterward, seemed always to be the first to ask questions that were hardto answer in an emergency. "They--they may attack us!"
"Why can't you say something less--less scary?" demanded Mollie who,after the first gasp of fright, had come forward to stand beside Betty.Amy had already shrunk to a place in the rear near Grace. It seemed tobe always thus, with Betty and Mollie facing the immediate danger, andGrace and Amy needing protection.
Not that they were not brave when occasion demanded it. They would nothave been outdoor girls else, but somehow the first fear of somethingmenacing sent Amy and Grace scurrying to the rear, whence it neededconsiderable persuasion to bring them to the van again.
"They--they don't seem to see us," ventured Amy, after a few tenseseconds, during which the four had stared at the alligators.
"They won't see you and Grace at all, if you stay behind us," saidMollie a bit sharply. "There's no present danger, as far as I can see.Why don't you come out and help Betty and me throw stones at them?"
"Oh, you're never going to do that!" gasped Grace. "Why that would--makethem mad!"
"Well," answered Betty, with a shrug of her shoulders, "I don't knowthat a mad alligator is any worse than any other kind. They're all mad,as far as I'm concerned, and throwing stones at them can't make them anyworse. I rather side with Mollie. We may drive them away."
"Yes, and it may drive them toward us," cried Amy. "Please don't!"
"We won't coax them this way if we can help it," said Betty. "You may besure of that. But we must do something. We can't stay out on thisalmost-island much longer. We'll have to eat, and----"
"Where's Tom?" suddenly asked Grace. "He ought to be able to rescue us.He knows all about alligators--and--and such things."
"Yes, maybe he can charm them away," suggested Molliehalf-sarcastically. "But I don't see him."
The girls looked toward where they had left their escort setting the"table" on the grass. They had a glimpse of the white cloth, and thevarious things upon it, but Tom was not in sight.
"Maybe--maybe an alligator ate him!" said Grace. She was half-cryingnow.
"Don't be silly!" directed Betty in a stern tone. It was sometimesnecessary to be severe with Grace when she was likely to give way to herfeelings. But in this case Betty did not want to be too much so, for sherealized all that her chum had suffered in the disappearance of herbrother.
The two big alligators, and they were exceptionally large, so the girlssaid afterward, seemed to have taken permanent possession of the narrowneck of land that connected the peninsula
with the main shore. The girlswere practically prisoners on what, with a rise of the river, would bean island.
"They don't seem to be coming after us," remarked Mollie looking aboutfor some stones, or anything else, to use as a weapon of offense.
"No, they're just waiting their time," said Amy, who was still clingingto Grace. "When they get ready they'll crawl out here and--and--what isit alligators do to you, anyhow--charm you?"
"You're thinking of snakes," said Betty, narrowly watching the saurians."Alligators knock you down with their tails, I understand, sort of stunyou, and----"
"Spare us the horrible details," interrupted Mollie, and she drawled itout in such a funny way that the others laughed.
The alligators evinced no intention of coming forward. They were movingabout, seeming to scoop out resting places in the hot sand, on which thesun poured fierce rays. Then, having made themselves comfortable,stretched out at full length, the creatures sunned themselves.
The girls were getting uncomfortable now, for they were in an exposedposition, and the day was warm. There was very little shade on thatsmall peninsula.
"We've got to get help!" decided Mollie at length. "For some reason ourescort has deserted us, and----"
"Oh, don't say that!" cried Betty. "I'm sure he can't have done that."
"Well, he isn't there; is he?" demanded Mollie, waving her hand towardthe distant spread on the grass. "And I'd like to know where he is!"
"Maybe some of those men who were hanging about the orange grove, or whowere after that poor, ragged young man, have taken Tom away," suggestedAmy.
The Outdoor Girls in Florida; Or, Wintering in the Sunny South Page 9
