hirled on me, the oar in his hands. I thought for an instant he
was going to strike me with it.

"You blackguard!" he shouted. "Will you go away?"

I looked at him and then at her. It had to be done, and my mind was made
up to do it. I waded in until the water was almost to my knees, and I
was abreast the stern of the stranded boat.

"Miss Colton," I said, "I am going to carry you to my skiff. Are you
ready?"

"You--Why!--" she breathed.

I stooped, lifted her in my arms, and ploughed through the weeds and
water. The mud was soft and my feet sank into it. She struggled.

"You must keep still," I said, sharply, "or I shall drop you."

She gasped, but she stopped struggling. From behind me I heard a roar of
rage from Victor.

I carried her to the anchored skiff and, plunging in still deeper,
seated her on the stern thwart.

"Sit there, please, and don't move," I said. "I shall be back as soon as
I've got your boat afloat."

I waded back to the dingy. Victor was frantic, but he did not disturb
me. The worst of my unpleasant job was over.

"Now sit down," I ordered. "Do you hear me? Sit down and sit still."

"You--you--" he stammered.

"Because if you don't sit down," I continued serenely, "you're likely to
tumble overboard. I'm going to push this boat off."

The first push helped to make up his mind. He sat, involuntarily. I
pushed with all my might and, slowly and jerkily, the dingy slid off
the shoal. But there were others all about. With one hand on the bow
I guided her between them and to the edge of the channel. Then, wading
along the slippery bank, I brought her to the skiff. My passenger had
been making remarks in transit, but I paid no attention to them.

I made the rope fast for towing, took my oar from the dingy, pulled up
the skiff's anchor and climbed aboard.

"Sit where you are," I said to Victor. "Miss Colton, please keep as
still as possible."

I ventured to look at her as I said this, but I looked but once. All the
way home I kept my gaze fixed on the bottom boards of the skiff.

I made the landing just in time. In fact, the squall struck before I was
abreast the Colton place. The channel beyond the flat, which we had so
lately left, was whipped to whitecaps in a moment and miniature breakers
were beating against the mud bank where the dingy had grounded.

Under the high bluff it was calm enough. The tide was too low to make
use of the little wharf, so I beached the skiff and drew the