y
be as much frightened as we are distressed. But come on, if we're going
to try to get the boat."

Stumbling over the uneven way, the girls raced along the river bank.
Sometimes the boat appeared to be coming close in shore, and again it
would veer out.

"I've just thought of something!" exclaimed Amy as they came up nearly
opposite the boat, for it was being towed more slowly now, as though the
creature having it in charge found it harder work.

"Then do, for goodness sake, tell us what it is," demanded Mollie. "I'm
about played out."

"If we threw stones on the other side of the alligator--I mean across,
between him and the other shore--it might scare him over this way."

"Oh!" screamed Grace. "Don't you dare scare him over here!"

"I didn't mean right here," went on Amy. "I only meant farther in toward
this shore. Then he might run aground and we could wade out and get the
boat."

"Wade in the water that has an alligator in it!" cried Grace with a
shudder. "Never!"

"Well, it might be a good plan to try," spoke Betty. "I see what Amy
means. When we were little, and used to play with toy boats, if one
went out too far we used to throw stones in the water beyond it, and the
waves would sometimes send it ashore. Now, if we did that, the alligator
might think someone on the other bank was throwing things at him, and he
would come over here. It's worth trying."

"I am certain I can't throw straight," complained Grace.

"Oh, well, this isn't a ball game," said Mollie. "Any sort of throwing
will do for an alligator. Come on, now, all together."

In spite of her protest, Grace managed to do fairly at the
stone-throwing. In fact the outdoor girls were what their name
implied--they could do many things that outdoor boys could do, and
throwing stones was one of their accomplishments. They had not played
basket ball for nothing.

A shower of missiles fell into the water on the far side of whatever
creature was towing the _Gem_. For a few minutes no effect was produced,
and then the creature under water did seem to veer over toward the shore
where the girls were slowly walking along.

"Gracious! If he really comes here!" cried Grace, getting ready to beat
a retreat.

"I'm afraid there's not much danger," spoke Betty, in a low tone. "He
seems too fond of our boat."

"Throw more stones!" directed Mollie, and another shower of small rocks
sailed through the air to fall with many splashes into the turbid water.