I was going with two young men who had been trained as
sailors, and that I ought to be as safe as I would in the home parlor."

"Well, aren't you?" smiled Belle Meade.

"Did you really want to go out on the river, Belle?" Dave asked.

"Not when you don't believe it to be safe."

"I suppose Foss will be joking around town about our being afraid of the
water," muttered; Dan.

"What do you care!" asked Dave quietly. "You're responsible to the
United States Government--not to a few private citizens on the streets
of Gridley."

"You'll take us out on the water before your leave is over, won't you?"
urged Belle.

"A dozen of times, if you care to go," Dave; replied quickly.

"In a sailboat?" quizzed Belle. "It must; be great fun to sail, and I've
never been in a sailboat."

"I'd rather take you out in a good, solid rowboat," Dave answered slowly.

"Why, haven't you had much sailboat practice at Annapolis yet?"

"We've had some," Darrin nodded. "But I'm afraid I don't believe much in
small sailboats for girls' parties."

"Oh, very well."

"Now, Belle, you will begin to believe that I'm a muff at heart," Darrin
remonstrated.

"I won't anyway, Dave," Laura broke in. "I can see that you're merely
determined that we shall take no risks when we go out with you. I shall
feel very safe in whatever you propose for water sports."

"It's a good deal better to be safe, than sorry, when you have girls
under your care," Dan Dalzell added.

The motor boat, a fast though a low-hulled craft, had been long out of
sight up the river. Presently there came a new turn to the wind. Dan wet
a forefinger and held it up to the breeze.

"I hope Foss has sense enough to run in somewhere and tie up until the
coming squall blows over," Dalzell remarked.

"Are we going to have a storm?" Belle asked quickly.

"Not rain, if that's what you mean," Darrin replied. "But I believe the
river is going to be pretty rough before long."

Ere two minutes more had passed Dave suddenly rose and
straightened himself.

"Look downstream, girls," he cried. "Do you see the big rollers coming?"

In truth the surface of the river was now beginning to behave in an
unusual way. Where, heretofore, the water had been choppy and
whitecapped, the water now broke in longer, foam-crested waves. Owing to
the course of the wind the waves were rolling upstream. Within five
minutes from the time when Dave first called attention to the rougher
water the waves ha