Dick soon coaxed
the lynx, which sat there looking suspiciously at the strangers,
down to his shoulder.

"Can't I pet him?" asked Molly.

"No!" said Ned.

"Yes," said Dick, and Molly stepped forward and laid her hand
fearlessly on the soft fur of the beautiful creature. Tom began a
low growl, but Dick talked soothingly to him, and in a few minutes
he became quite friendly with the girl.

"There!" said Molly. "Now we're friends, and I can play with him all
I want to."

"Oh, no, not yet. You must promise that you won't touch him unless I
am with you," said Dick.

"Of course, I won't promise. I'll pet him when I please."

"Then poor Tom will have to stay here."

"Do you mean to say that if I don't make that ridiculous promise I
can't have Tom?"

"Tom belongs to you the minute you make that promise, but not
before."

"Well, Mr. Williams, I make the promise rather than lose Tom, but as
for you--" And the blank which Molly left was filled with feminine
possibilities.

A bunk was fixed up in the cabin of the launch for Dick, and the
throb of the heavy engines became a steady hum as the boat turned
down the stream, with water and spray curling up from its bow and
heavy waves from its propeller breaking with a sullen roar on the
banks of the river. Dick's bunk must have been uncomfortable, for
very soon he crawled up on deck and, going forward to where he could
lean back against the cabin, sat down, looking pale, but not
unhappy. Molly, who happened to be on the bow of the boat, was so
indignant with him that she told him he ought to have a guardian,
and then went below and brought back an armful of pillows and
cushions, with which she proceeded to make life a burden to Dick.
Then, as she seemed about to go away, Dick began to talk to her
about the old plantations on the river and tell her the ghost
stories that belonged to them, until she sat down near him. "I hope
you don't think I was rude about Tom? I was only--" But Molly
interrupted him.

"You need to be good and strong before I tell you what I think of
that." And the girl walked away from him so indignant that she
didn't return for nearly two minutes.

As the launch neared the mouth of the river a yawl-rigged craft with
an auxiliary engine had just entered it. Her captain was sitting on
deck with his right hand grasping the wheel, his body leaning
forward, rigid as bronze, while his roving eye scanned water and
sky, reefs, banks and keys. A roll of th