e," Dave promised. "But I'm not going to do
any bragging, Belle, until I'm safely through and have been out of the
woods for a long time."

"And you won't do any bragging then, either. It isn't in your line.
What's Dan Dalzell going to do while he's home on leave?"

"Sleep, he says."

"The lazy boy!"

"No, he's a tired boy, Belle. I think the past year has been even just a
little harder on him than it has on me. However, of course Dan won't
really sleep. He'll be out by this afternoon. Just now I imagine that
he's talking like wildfire with his mother."

It was a wrong guess, however. Just then the telephone sounded in the
next room, and Belle went to answer it.

"It's your shipmate, Dan," she called laughingly. "He wants to talk with
you, Dave."

"I wonder how the fellow ever guessed that I was here," smiled Darrin, as
he hastily joined Belle at the 'phone.

"Hello," hailed Dalzell at the other end of the wire. "Going to do
anything in particular this afternoon, David, little giant?"

"Yes; I hope to make myself more or less agreeable to Miss Meade."

"A small crowd won't be any bar to that, eh?" Dan wanted to know.

"Not if the crowd and the occasion are agreeable to Miss Meade."

"Well, you know Foss and Canty?"

"Two of our old High School boys? Yes."

"Foss has a new gasoline launch; he says it's a beauty, and he wants us
to invite Miss Meade and Miss Bentley, to join them and a couple of the
former High School girls for a couple of hours' cruise on the river.
What say you?"

"What does Belle say, you mean. Wait a moment, and I'll ask her."

Darrin explained the invitation.

"Why, if it will be pleasant for you, Dave, I shall be delighted to go,"
Belle answered.

"It's all right," Dave called back over the 'phone. "What's the hour for
the start!"

"Two o'clock," Dan answered.

"All right, then; will you ask Laura Bentley, or shall we, from here?"

"I've already asked Laura," Dalzell replied. "She accepted on condition
that Belie did. Now I'll ring up Laura and tell her that it's all
arranged."

"It'll be a pleasant trip for you, won't it!" inquired Belle,
half-anxiously. "Or do you get too much of boats in your working year?"

"I shall be glad to be anywhere that you are," Dave replied
gallantly. "The form of entertainment doesn't matter to me as long as
it appeals to you."

At two o'clock the young people met at the float of the Boat Club house
on the river's bank.

On the way acr