going to stop for them."

"Betty Nelson! Do you mean that you aren't going to stop?" gasped Grace.

"That's what I do mean. I don't see why we should halt our boat just
because two strange men signal us. Indeed I'm not going to!" and Betty
turned on more power. She gazed straight ahead as though she did not see
the men in the approaching craft, who were now wildly waving their
hands, and turning their rather disreputable-looking craft in the
direction of the _Gem_.

"Betty Nelson! You're just splendid!" cried Grace impulsively as she
moved forward and threw her arms about her chum. "I wish I had your
courage!"

"Don't hug me too tightly," begged Betty with a laugh. "I may have to
steer out of their way."

Indeed it did seem so, for the other craft was coming about so as to
almost cross the bows of the boat of the outdoor girls. Then one of the
men called:

"I say, young ladies, will you stop a minute? We want to speak to you."

Betty never turned her head, but gazed on down the river as though
intent on not grounding on a sand bar, or running into an alligator.
Her chums followed her example, but Grace could not forbear giving the
men one glance.

"They're talking together," she reported in a low voice.

"Let 'em talk--as long as they don't talk to us," answered Mollie.

The men seemed to have decided on something after a conference, for the
one who had first hailed the girls now called again:

"I say, young ladies, we don't mean to be impolite or to bother you, but
we're looking for a boat, and----"

"This boat isn't for sale," said Betty in non-committal tones. "We have
no time to stop."

"But you don't understand," cried the man, seemingly growing desperate.
"One of our boats was taken last night by a young fellow, and he came
down the river. We followed him, but we must have passed him in the
night. Now we're on our way back. He may have hid in some bayou, and be
on his way down farther up stream. All we wanted to know was if you had
seen a tall young fellow, with blue eyes, in a small skiff?"

Betty returned no answer. It was not a question, strictly speaking. The
men had merely said they wanted to know, and Betty saw no reason for
gratifying their "want."

"Hey, can't you stop and answer a civil question?" cried the second man,
and his voice was angry. "If you don't we may----"

Betty's cheeks flushed. Without turning her head she answered:

"You'd better be careful how you make threats. We a