done."

"Your automobile boat's busted, ain't it?" inquired a friendly voice as
the entire party, except Tom, piled out of the launch to the land.

A colored boy of about eighteen was standing on the river bank grinning
at them. He held a piece of juicy watermelon in his hand.

Eleanor and Lillian eyed it hungrily. They suddenly remembered that they
had had no breakfast.

"The young ladies had better come up to my ole missus's place?" the boy
invited hospitably. "They look kind of petered out. I spect it will take
some time to fix up your boat."

The entire company of young people looked up beyond the sloping river
bank to the farm country back of it. There, on the crest of a small
hill, was a beautiful old Virginia homestead, painted white, with green
shutters and a broad, comfortable porch in front of it. It looked like
home to Eleanor. "Yes; suppose we go up there to rest, Lillian," pleaded
Eleanor. "If Tom can't get his engine mended, we can row back to the
houseboat in a little while."

David Brewster and Phyllis Alden had not waited quietly on the "Merry
Maid" while Tom and his launch party went out in search of Madge.

Five minutes after the "Sea Gull" moved away David left the houseboat
and went on shore.

"Where are you going, David?" called Phyllis after him.

"I am going to look for Miss Morton along the river bank," he answered
in a surly fashion. "Anybody ought to know that if an accident happened
to her rowboat, the boat would have drifted in to the land."

"I am going along with David Brewster, Miss Jenny Ann," announced Phil.
"It's mean to leave you and Miss Betsey alone, but I simply can't stay
behind."

David's face grew dark and sullen. "I won't have a girl poking along
with me," he muttered.

"You will have me," returned Phyllis cheerfully. "I won't be in your
way. I can keep up with you."

At first David did not pay the least attention to Phyllis, who kept
steadily at his heels. Phyllis could not but wonder what was the matter
with this fellow, who was so strange and taciturn until something
stirred him to action.

Only once, when Phil stumbled along a steep incline, David looked back.
"You had better go home, Miss Alden," he remarked more gently. "I'll
find Miss Morton and bring her to you." And Phil, as Madge had been at
another time, was comforted by the boy's assurance.

"I am not tired," she answered, just as gently, "I would rather go on."

At one o'clock David made Phyllis