o pick up the
man. Tom threw him a rope and the stranger climbed aboard, making fast
his rowboat to the stern of the sailing vessel. He was a peculiar,
wild-looking fellow, with dark, shifting eyes and thick, curly hair
that partly covered his ears. As be stepped into the sailboat his lips
parted in a smile that showed his teeth, which Madge noted were long,
very white and pointed at the ends. He was deeply tanned, yet, in
spite of his rough appearance, seemed to be a gentleman.

"You are very kind," he said in a low, purring voice which caused Madge
to eye him sharply. "I would not have troubled you, but there is a
heavy squall coming up. I shall be greatly obliged to you if you will
put me ashore."

"All right," assented Tom. "We are in a hurry to get to shore
ourselves, as my mother will be anxious if the storm catches us."

Madge had continued to gaze at the new-comer. "Where have I seen him
before? He is like a wolf. His teeth look almost like fangs, and I
don't like his strange, shifting eyes," she mentally criticised.

Aloud she said to Tom: "Miss Jenny Ann will be worried. She has been
very nervous about us since we were locked in that old cabin in the
woods overnight."

The stranger regarded Madge quizzically. She could have sworn that a
mocking light lay in his dark eyes. "Did you say you were locked in an
old cabin in the woods overnight? How unfortunate."

"It will be more unfortunate for the fellow who locked the girls in,
provided we find him," threatened Tom shortly. The stranger's suave
tones aroused in him a peculiar feeling of antagonism.

The young man regarded Tom through half-shut eyes. "I must ask you to
land me on the beach above here," he drawled.

"Sorry," answered Tom firmly. "I don't know any other pier along here
except ours. I told you I was in a hurry to go ashore. I don't like
to be disobliging, but you will have to go to our landing with us."

The black clouds were now chasing one another across the sky, and the
wind made a curious whistling noise. Nevertheless the boat was sailing
gloriously, and in spite of the oncoming squall Tom and Madge were
enjoying themselves immensely, though neither of them was much pleased
with their fellow traveler.

The stranger turned to Madge. "You must tell your friend that he'll
have to land me somewhere else than in that picnic party," he muttered
hoarsely. "I tell you I have a reason. I do not want to meet any
society