Just think of
the fish in this wonderful bay--perch and pike and bass and a hundred
other kinds! You must help me catch some of them some day."

"All right, I will," promised Madge merrily. As they went farther out
into the bay they grew strangely silent. The spell of the sea was upon
them and they were content to sail along, exchanging but little
conversation. Chesapeake Bay was apparently in one of its most amiable
moods and, lured on by its apparent good nature, Tom grew a trifle more
reckless than was his wont and did not turn about to begin the homeward
sail as soon as he had originally intended.

It was Madge who broke the spell. "I think we had better start back.
Perhaps I merely imagine it, but it seems to me that the sun isn't
shining as brightly as it shone a little while ago. I know the bay so
well. It is so wonderful, but so treacherous. I was once out on it in
a sailboat during a sudden squall and I am not likely to forget it."
Madge gave a slight shudder at the recollection.

"All right," agreed Tom, "I'll turn about, but there isn't the
slightest danger of a squall to-day." He brought his little craft
about and headed toward the beach.

In spite of his assurance that there would he no squall, a black,
threatening cloud had appeared in the sky, and now the wind shifted,
blowing strongly toward land. Tom, who was nothing if not a sailor,
managed the boat so skilfully that Madge's apprehensions were soon
quieted and she gave herself up to the complete enjoyment of rushing
along in the freshened breeze.

They were within a mile of their landing place when, off to their right
and a little ahead of them, Madge spied the rowboat they had seen at
the beginning of their sail.

The boat was now tossing idly on the waves, and its sole occupant, a
young man, was trying vainly to guide it with a single oar.

"There is that boat again," called Madge to Tom, who was busy with his
sails. "I believe the young man in it is in trouble and is signaling
to us for help."

As Tom drew nearer to the rowboat the other man in it called out: "Say,
can't you take me aboard? I've lost an oar, and it's a pretty tough
job trying to get ashore with one oar in a sea like this."

Tom glanced quickly at Madge. He was quite ready to help the young
man, but wished to be sure that his young woman guest had no objection
to the stranger coming aboard their boat.

It took five minutes to bring the sailboat close enough t