e faltered.

"Nothing, dearie," said the hoarse voice of the crone. "You'll be all
right soon. You're just going to stay with me a little while--you and
your friend. You won't suffer a bit of harm, if you tell us what we want
to know. You'll be well taken care of."

Betty began to see a light now. She wished the gag might be taken from
her lips, and water given her, but the old woman was busy with Amy. The
girl closed her eyes again, and seemed too weak to cry out, even though
the rag was not again bound across her lips.

There sounded voices outside the cabin, and a knock on the door.

"Drat 'em," muttered the old woman. "A body would need four hands to
attend to all that's to be done."

She laid Amy back on the floor, and hobbled across the room to unbar the
door. Betty was frantically struggling to loosen the bonds that held
her hands behind her back.

"The boat's ready," gruffly said Jake, as he and Pete were admitted to
the shack.

"That's good," muttered the old crone. "We can take care of 'em easier
when we get 'em out of here. We don't care if they do yell then. Wait
until I tie up this one's mouth. She may rouse up enough to make a
racket."

Poor, half-senseless Amy was again gagged. Betty had given up trying to
loosen her bonds. Those men knew how to tie knots.

And then, as before, Betty was carried down to the shore and placed in a
boat. Amy was brought down on the shoulders of the old woman, who also
got in the boat with the captured girls.

"Now row out," she ordered the man. They were on the bay side, where
there was no surf, so the boat was easily pushed out. The men leaped in
and began pulling on the long oars. Betty could see them heading for the
mysterious schooner, and, a little later she and Amy were lifted on
board that vessel.

"Up anchor!" came the command from some one, and, an instant later, the
vessel was in motion.

Poor Betty wished she could do as Amy had done, and faint.

CHAPTER XXII

THE SEARCH

Grace Ford slowly opened her eyes. Grace seldom did anything in a hurry,
not even awakening, and on this occasion, after the little doze that hot
summer day, in the grove by the seashore, she was even more dilatory
than usual in bringing all her faculties into play.

Lazily enough she glanced over at Mollie, who was still asleep. Grace
felt a little sense of elation that she was awake before her friend. She
did not look around for Betty or Amy, but, picking up a small