that this was best, and soon, in the fast gathering
dusk, the _Gem_ was swung about and was breasting the rather sluggish
current.

To the credit of the outdoor girls be it said that even in this
nerve-racking emergency they did not altogether lose heart and courage.
Of course there was that first instinctive fear, and something like a
gasping for breath, as when one plunges into cold water. But the
reaction came, and the girls were themselves once more--brave and
self-reliant.

"I only hope we don't pass the stream up which we went to have our
lunch," spoke Mollie as they went on. She and the others were peering
from side to side in the gloom.

"Oh, I'm sure we can find that," declared Betty. "There is a big, dead
cypress tree, with a lot of moss on it, just at the turn. We must watch
for that."

There were one or two false alarms before they saw it, but finally they
were all sure of the turn, and Betty made it.

"Oh, are you going all the way back to where we ate?" asked Grace, as
Betty guided her craft into the branch stream.

"I think so," answered the Little Captain. "It will not take much
longer, and we may find Tom there. If we do, all our troubles will be
over. I think we had better go up."

"But it's getting dark so fast," objected Grace.

"Then a little more dark won't make much difference," returned Mollie
with a shrug. "Go on, Betty."

The _Gem_ chugged her way up "Alligator Brook," as the girls had named
it. Eagerly they looked for some sign of their missing escort, and
listened for any sound that would indicate he was coming to meet them.
But the forest was silent. Night was settling down, and birds and beasts
were seeking their resting places.

They reached the place where the boat had been tied, and could see where
they had eaten their lunch. Over in the gloom there fluttered the paper
Betty had fastened to a tree to indicate to Tom the fact that his
charges had left.

"He hasn't been here," said Mollie in a low voice.

"No, there's the packet of lunch," went on Grace pointing to it. "We
may need it ourselves."

Betty said nothing, but in the semi-darkness her chums could see the
worried look on her face.

Suddenly there was a crashing through the underbrush, announcing the
approach of someone.

"Here he comes!" exclaimed Amy.

"Let's call!" suggested Grace.

"Wait a minute," advised Betty.

The figure of a young man came into view. He looked about him nervously,
turning his he