kle. "He's thunderin' mad over the smash-up. There's no tellin' what
he might do ter yer."

"But you don't understand," burst out Tod, with renewed energy. "There's
a reason why this lady and I can't go back to New York. There are people
there whom we're most anxious to avoid. We must get over to New Jersey
without further delay. Can't you hail a passing tug for us, or lower a
boat? I'll make it worth your while--see!"

He drew from his pocket a roll of money. The man laughed and shook his
head.

"Pair of runaways, eh? Goin' ter git spliced in Jersey?" With an
impudent stare at Paula, he added, with a laugh: "I don't blame yer. The
gal's pretty, all right. But there's nothin' doin'. I don't want to lose
me job. I guess it's New York fer yours, all right. Here comes the tug
now!"

He ran forward just as the rescuing tug, puffing and snorting, came
alongside. A rope was thrown up and made fast, and the tow back to the
city began.

"Confound the fellow's impudence!" said Tod savagely. "If I wasn't in
such a fix I'd punch his head."

Paula, pale and anxious, laid her hand on his arm.

"Never mind him!" she said. "What are we going to do about the others?
That is more serious."

Tod, silent and thoughtful, was racking his brain to find some way out
of this new dilemma. Yet there was nothing to be done. The accident had
been noticed from the shore. Every one knew they must come back. They
were trapped like two naughty children who had been caught playing
truant from school. A nice laugh Cooley and Jimmy would have on him!
Suddenly he turned to Paula.

"We've only one chance left," he said quickly, "and it's a very slim
one. Come down to the lower deck. We'll get into the machine. Directly
the boat touches the dock and the bridge is lowered, I'll let her go for
all she's worth. There's a chance that in the general excitement we may
be able to get past them. Come!"

It was a forlorn hope at best, but a drowning man will clutch at a
straw. Slowly, like a limping, living thing, the helpless ferryboat
entered the New York slip, pushed and coaxed into its berth by the
rescuing tug. A large crowd of curious sightseers, gathered on the dock,
followed the manoeuvres with interest. As Tod sat at the wheel of his
machine, his frightened companion by his side, ready to dash forward the
moment the boat was made fast, he scanned eagerly the sea of faces
turned toward them. There was no sign of the enemy. Apparently the coast