down to the inlet of the bay, there was no house within calling
distance of the "Merry Maid." Their boat was anchored to the pier only
a few yards from the shore, tied firmly to one of the upstanding posts.
The youth grinned maliciously. He decided that he had met with an
unexpected stroke of good luck. He was hungry and penniless. Nothing
could be easier than to terrify the girls on board into submission,
take what money and food they had, and be off with it before any one
appeared to help them. If it was a desperate venture, well, he must
take a desperate chance. He could not wander around in the woods
forever with no food or money.

Meanwhile Phil had not once glanced behind her. "You'd better begin
scrubbing at once," she directed. "We have been waiting for you a long
time. We wish to get our houseboat in order. We are going to give a
party for our friends. Do hurry, there is such a lot to do."

The young man below was not troubling himself about the amount of work
to be done; he had other matters to consider. This girl on top the
cabin deck was evidently expecting some one. She would not come down
her little ladder unless she heard a noise or disturbance from below.
The next question was, how many girls were on board and where were they?

Eleanor and Lillian had finished the cake and the fudge. They had
brought them into the living room and set them on the table to wait for
the evening tea party. Eleanor was tired.

She had thrown herself down on a lounge and her eyes were closed.
Lillian, with her back to the door, stood talking to her friend. They
did not hear the intruder's light footfalls.

Suddenly Lillian felt her two hands caught roughly behind her in such a
powerful grasp that she staggered back. Eleanor sprang from the couch,
opening her eyes in amazement! She saw Lillian struggling with a man
whose face wore the expression of a hungry animal.

"Don't scream," he ordered harshly. "Give me what food and money you
have and I will let you go. If you scream, you will be sorry." He
glared savagely at the two girls.

Lillian tried to wrench her hands from his grasp. They were pinioned
so tightly behind her that she could not move. Eleanor slipped off her
divan. She and Lillian had no weapons with which to defend themselves.
Eleanor thought if she could get out of the room, while the man held
Lillian, she could cry for help. Her first scream would bring Phyllis
to their aid, and Ph