CHAPTER XXVI

THE PLIGHT OF THE GIRLS

Once more over the water sounded the cry for help. It was evident that several persons were calling and, as the boys and the professor listened, they found that the appeal came from around a point of land that jutted out into the lake from the floating island, not far from the camp.

“Get into the boat!” called Ned to Jerry, as the latter hurried down to the shore. “We’ll find ’em.”

The two were soon in the _Dartaway_ and the engine was started. As the motor craft moved out of the little cove in front of camp the boys saw before them three girls in a boat.

“Help us!” cried the young ladies.

“What’s the matter?” asked Jerry.

“We’ve caught a big fish and it’s towing the boat!”

“More likely an alligator!” exclaimed Ned. “Put a little more speed on, Jerry. Why, if they aren’t Mr. Seabury’s daughters! The houseboat must be nearby!”

“Sure enough!” answered Jerry. “That’s good news. We can get some medicine for Bob now.”

Though the rowboat was moving at good speed the _Dartaway_ soon caught up to it. Ned and Jerry saw three very much frightened girls who waved their hands to them as the boys approached.

“They’re from the _Dartaway_!” cried Rose. “I’m so glad to see them!”

“Quick!” exclaimed Olivia. “Something has been towing us for an hour!”

“What is it?” asked Ned, as he tried to peer beneath the water.

“Oh, a terrible big fish,” answered Nellie.

In a few moments the rowboat was fast to the motor craft and the smaller one came to a stop. Then there was a flurry in the water just ahead, and an ugly black snout was thrust up.

“An alligator!” exclaimed Jerry. He grabbed for his gun and sent a bullet into the saurian. A greater commotion beneath the surface of the lake, which was tinged with red, showed that the leaden missile had gone home.

“You killed him!” exclaimed Ned.

“Yes, but it wasn’t much of a kill,” responded his chum as the alligator came to the surface, disclosing the fact that it was a small one, only about five feet long. “Regular baby. How did you girls come to get fast to it?”

“We didn’t. It got fast to us,” replied Olivia. “Rose had baited a big hook on a stout line, expecting to catch a shark I guess. We laughed at her but she said she’d catch something with it.”

“And I did,” cried Rose. “I let it trail over the side and the first thing I knew something took my bait and hook and the boat began to move off. We were scared to death.”

“How did you get here? Where is the houseboat? We left you on Lake Okeechobee,” inquired Jerry.

“Isn’t this Lake Okeechobee?” asked Rose in some alarm.

“We named it Butterfly Lake,” said Jerry, and he told what had happened since they last visited Mr. Seabury and his daughters.

“That’s queer,” said Rose. “We have been cruising about on some lake, and we supposed it was Lake Okeechobee. I noticed that we went through quite a narrow place the other evening, made a short circuit and returned to it, but I thought nothing of it. We anchored the boat near the passage and we’ve been there ever since except to-day when we thought we’d go fishing.”

“Where is this narrow place you speak of; near the one where we were?” asked Jerry, much interested.

“No, off that way,” and Rose pointed to the south. “Our houseboat is there yet. We must hurry back or father will be alarmed.”

“You must have found another outlet between the two lakes,” was Jerry’s opinion. “That’s just what we want as we can’t use the one we came through, owing to the lowering of Butterfly Lake. Have you noticed that?”

“Yes,” answered Olivia. “Our boat was nearly ashore. But father says these lakes frequently get low in the summer time when there is not much rain.”

“We’ve had enough rain for the last week or so,” replied Ned. “However, no harm is done if we can get back to Lake Okeechobee the way you came into this lake. We’ll tow you back to the place.”

The girls thought this was a good plan. They inquired after the professor and Bob, and were sorry to learn of the latter’s illness.

“I’m sure father has some medicine that would make him better,” said Nellie. “He has a regular drug store aboard the _Wanderer_. Did the professor get his wonderful butterfly?”

“No,” replied Jerry and he related the scientist’s experience with the ugly negroes.

The _Dartaway_, towing the rowboat, was headed back toward where the girls said their houseboat lay. As they passed the camp Jerry called to the professor to let him know where they were going, and promising to ask Mr. Seabury for a list of the medicines he had so that the professor might select some for Bob.

“Now you girls will have to tell us which way to steer,” suggested Ned, when they had been puffing along for some distance. “How far did that alligator tow you?”

“It seemed like fifty miles,” replied Rose with a laugh.

“It was about an hour,” said Olivia, with more regard for correct details.

“Then we ought to be there soon,” declared Jerry. “That alligator wasn’t going very fast.”

“There’s the place!” suddenly exclaimed Nellie. “I remember it by the three dead trees on a little point of land,” and she indicated where she meant.

Jerry headed the _Dartaway_ in that direction. He scanned the shore, which they were approaching, for a sight of an outlet from Butterfly Lake. As he drew nearer he could see nothing that looked like a passage.

“Are you sure this is the place?” he asked the girls.

“Positive,” they all assured him, as they had all taken note of the three dead trees.

“It’s strange, but I can’t see any way out of the lake at this point,” spoke Jerry, standing up and gazing ahead.

“I know it’s the place!” insisted Nellie. “There, girls, see my handkerchief that I dropped as I was baiting my hook!”

She pointed to the piece of linen on the bank. There was no mistaking this bit of evidence. Jerry ran the boat ashore and got out. The girls followed him and Nellie recovered her handkerchief.

“This is the place we came through,” she said. “The houseboat was moored right here.”

“But now it’s gone and the passage is closed up!” exclaimed Jerry. “Something very strange has happened.”