seemed useless to exert the gasoline power
further.

"Suppose we have the little ditty again," suggested Ed, taking a seat
near Cora. "What was it? 'Love's Latitude?'"

"No, 'Love's Luxury,'" asserted Walter, as he made a comical move
toward Belle. But Belle was disconsolate, and she only looked at the
moon. It was almost funny, but the humor was entirely lost on the
frightened girl.

"When in doubt play 'The Gypsy's Warning,'" suggested Cora, picking up
her guitar. "There is something bewitching about that tune."

"See if we can bewitch a wave or two with it," remarked Jack. "That
would fetch us in a little nearer to shore."

But the situation was becoming more serious each moment. There they
were--high though not exactly dry upon a big sand bar! Not a craft was
in sight, and none within call!

"If we only could trust the bottom, we fellows might get out and push
her off," suggested Walter, "but it wouldn't be nice to get right in
the line with Davy Jones' locker."

"Oh, please don't do that," begged Bess. "It will be better to stay
safely here and wait for the tide than to take any chance of losing----"

"Wallie. Sometimes he's Walter, but when it comes to the possibility
of our losing him, he's Wallie," declared Jack, clasping his arms
around the other boy's neck. "Starboard watch ahoy!"

"Right about face, forward march!" called Walter ridiculously.

"That's not the same set," corrected Jack. "This was another kind of a
watch--stem winder."

The jollying of the boys kept the girls from actually feeling the
seriousness of their plight. But to wait until morning for the tide!

CHAPTER IV

TO THE RESCUE

"Don't tell the girls, but I am going to swim ashore," whispered Walter
to Jack. "A nice fix we would be in if Mrs. Robinson came home and
found the girls missing."

"Swim ashore!" repeated Jack in surprise. "Why, Walter, it's a mile!"

"Can't help it. I can do it, and I see a light directly opposite here.
You give Ed the tip to keep the girls busy, while you stay back here
with me. I'll be overboard in no time."

Jack tried to persuade his friend not to take the risk, but Walter was
determined; so, unobservedly divesting himself of his heaviest
garments, he dropped over the side of the launch and was soon stroking
for the shore.

For some time the girls did not miss him, but Belle, keen to scent
danger, abruptly asked if Walter had fallen asleep.

"Yes," drawled Jack, "