o unwise that he'd be worried about
our safety," Belle answered promptly.

"Going, Laura?" called Foss.

"No, though I thank you," Miss Bentley replied. "If Mr. Darrin objects
on the score of safety I'm not going to torment him by disregarding
his opinion."

"I'm of about the same opinion as Darrin, if anyone cares to know,"
broke in Dan Dalzell.

Tom Foss looked at the other half of his party quizzically, then
called to Canty.

"Cast off, Ab. Ha, ha! I never thought to see United States sailors and
embryo Naval officers so much afraid of a little tossing water."

Chug-chug! Ella and Susie were laughing a bit teasingly as the motor
started and the little craft darted away from the float and took to the
waves beyond.

Dave did not answer. Instead, he gripped Dan's nearer wrist, muttering:

"Don't you say it, Danny!"

"Say what?"

"Whatever hot words were coming to your lips. As long as we feel that
we're right in not risking Belle and Laura, never mind what the others
think and say."

"This breeze is so fine," suggested Laura, "what do you say if we seat
ourselves here and watch the river for a while?"

Accordingly the four young people seated themselves. The launch was the
only craft in sight that was away from her moorings. A sailboat and three
canoes lay tied to the lee side of the float, that is the off-side from
the weather. Even they rocked a good deal.

"What kind of weather is coming?" asked Belle.

"It's going to be pretty squally, in all probability," spoke up
Midshipman Dan. "Do you see the big puffs of wind in the clouds yonder?"

"It must take a sailor to see that sort of thing," remarked Belle. "What
I see in the cloud looks like big, fluffy masses of cotton, streaked with
something darker."

"That's the wind," nodded Dave Darrin. "Now, girls, I don't want you to
think me a muff. That wind may swerve, and not come this way, although in
all probability the wind will get this way and the water will be rougher.
If it does get rougher on the river, and if we had taken you two out, and
the boat had capsized, then by some chance we might not have been able to
get you to shore. What would your folks then say to us if we had had the
miserable luck to survive you?"

"You did just right," Laura declared promptly. "To tell the truth, I
didn't want to disappoint either of you boys this afternoon, but I didn't
believe the wind was quiet enough for boating on the river. But mother
reminded me that