e to waste, I tell you."

I did not answer. Silence, on my part, was the safest thing just then. I
continued rowing up the bay.

Miss Colton spoke to him and he sat down, a proceeding for which I was
thankful. They whispered together for a moment. Then he turned to me.

"See here," he said; "this lady and I have an appointment. We must get
ashore. Go straight in. If you're afraid I'll take the risk. If there is
any danger I'll pay for that, too."

There was no question of risk. It was a certainty. I knew that channel.

"We can't cross here," I said, shortly.

"Why, confound you--"

"Victor!" cautioned Miss Colton.

"Hush, Mabel! This is ridiculous. You and I saw two boats go straight
out from the beach this morning. We went out that way ourselves. Here
you--Paine, or whatever your name is--we've had enough of this. I've
hired you to take us ashore, and I want to go there and not a half mile
in another direction. Will you do as I tell you?"

When the dingy and the other boats crossed the flat the tide had been
hours higher, of course; but I was in no mood to explain--to him.

"No," I said, shortly.

"You won't? Then you give me an oar and I'll row the rest of the way
myself."

There were only two oars in the skiff, but I could get on perfectly well
with one. And it would serve him beautifully right to let him go. But
there was the girl. I hesitated.

"Give me that oar," he repeated, angrily. "You won't? Then, by Jove,
I'll do without it. Stop! Stop where you are! do you understand. We
don't require your services any longer."

He turned and began untying the tow line. I stopped rowing.

Miss Colton looked troubled.

"Victor!" she cried. "What are you doing?"

"I know what I'm doing. Can't you see this fellow's game? The longer the
row the higher his price, that's all. He can't work me. I've seen his
kind before. Don't be frightened. If we can't do anything else we can
anchor and wait until they see us from the house."

Idiot! At that point the channel was deep and the bottom soft mud. I
doubted if his anchor would touch and, if it did, I knew it would not
hold. I backed water and brought the skiff alongside the dingy, the rail
of which I seized and held.

"Keep off!" ordered Victor, still fumbling with the rope. "We don't want
your help."

I wasted no breath on him. I addressed my remarks to the girl.

"Miss Colton," I said, "will you listen to me, please. You can't anchor
here because your anch