d fish for something in the
water.

"I hope he isn't going to bring it ashore--the alligator, I mean!" cried
Mollie. "We want the boat. Get the boat!" she called to the ragged
youth.

CHAPTER XV

THE TWO MEN

The girls need have had no fears. The youth in the boat seemed to know
what he was doing. He was pulling up the anchor rope now, and a moment
later he had the grapple in his scow. Then he let his craft slip down
stream until he was below the _Gem_ and in a position to tow it.

As he did this there was a swirl in the water just above him, and a
queerly-shaped body half arose, falling back with a splash.

The girls had a glimpse of something like a seal, with a queer head, not
unlike that of a small hippopotamus.

"Look!" cried Mollie. "That was no alligator! What in the world is it?"

"That's a manatee--a sea-cow, some folks call 'em!" answered the ragged
youth, as he poled his boat toward them, towing the _Gem_. "They're
harmless, but I had to shoot this one to make him let go. I didn't hurt
him much. I never see one so far inland as this, though. I'll have your
boat there in a minute."

"Don't hurry," said Betty kindly. "As long as she's safe we are all
right. It's awfully kind of you to get her for us. We thought an
alligator had her."

"It was rather queer," said the ragged youth. "I never see a boat towed
by a manatee before. I'll be ashore in a minute."

He was poling his scow over toward the girls, towing their boat in,
aided by the current. A little later he had leaped ashore with the rope,
pulling the anchor after him.

"We're a thousand times obliged to you!" exclaimed Mollie, impulsively.
"We never should have known what to do without our boat. We're from
Bentonville."

"Yes? That's quite a ways down." The youth, in spite of his rags, had a
good-looking face and a pleasant manner. He seemed restless and afraid,
and was constantly glancing about him, as though in fear of seeing
someone or something he did not care to encounter.

"Would you--I mean, can we do anything for you?" half stammered Betty.
She wanted to offer him money, but she did not quite know how he would
accept it. "If you are going down stream," she went on, "we could take
you as far as we are going. If you would come with us, perhaps----"

"Oh, no, I couldn't think of it!" the youth cried--cried out in very
fear, it seemed to Mollie, who was observing him narrowly. "I must go
on--go on alone. I am going for help!