f him."

"We all do, dear," spoke Mollie, gently.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE YOUTH ON THE RAFT

Tom Osborne, on the way back in the _Gem_ with the girls and Mr.
Stonington, told his story. He had prepared the luncheon, and, seeing
the girls going out on the little neck of land to gather flowers, he
recalled seeing some blooms, of the orchid variety, farther in the
woods.

Thinking to give the girls a surprise, he decided to gather some before
they returned. He set off, but the flowers grew farther away than he
thought, and before he realized it he was a mile from the glade.

"Then, all at once," he related, "a couple of rough fellows sprang out
at me, and before I could do anything they had me tied."

"How awful!" exclaimed Betty.

"I thought so at the time," said Tom, grimly. "I couldn't imagine why
they wanted me, but when they led me off into the swamp I understood.
They were after workers, and they'd do anything to get them."

Happily the days are past when such things are done, but a few years
ago, before the law intervened, men who were making money by getting
valuable timber, and other products, from the Southern forests, stopped
at little in order to obtain the necessary labor.

Tom was taken to the Everglade camp, which explains why the calls of the
girls did not reach him. Strong and healthy, he was a great "find" for
the unscrupulous contractors, but as he stubbornly refused to work he
was made a prisoner in one of the shacks.

It was there that he got into communication with The Loon. Poor Harry,
wandering about in the swamps and forests in search of the young man
who, some time previous, had given him money to go for aid for him, came
within talking distance of where Tom was locked up. Tom knew the
half-witted fellow, and quickly whispered an appeal to him.

"I told him to go back and find you girls," said Tom, "and tell you why
I couldn't get back. Then I asked him to tell you to get help."

"And I did," spoke The Loon, proudly.

"Indeed you did," declared Tom, patting him on the back.

"I only wish I could have helped the other one," went on Harry.

"But who was he--can't you tell his name, or something about him?"
asked Mr. Hammond.

The Loon shook his head.

"I forget," he muttered. "All I know is that I saw him up in the other
camp--away off. He gave me money then, and told me to go to someone--I
forget who--to send a message over the telegraph wires, you know. He
wrote it down,