“What’s your name?” asked Alex., abruptly as he pushed off from the Rambler.
“Gregg Holder,” was the reply. “I’m just Gregg to all my friends, but I’m Bully Gregg on South Halstead street. The others are Eddie Butler and Hank Quinn.”
“That settles it!” grinned Alex. “I’m going back.”
“What for?” asked Gregg, in surprise. “Don’t you want a duck or a fish?”
“Sure I do,” was the reply, “but I’m afraid! You’re the man that fought Murphy to a draw? What? And Eddie Butler is the boy that bested Murray!”
“You’ve got that right, kid,” was the reply. “We’ve all been in the prize ring, but we’re no slum toughs. If you think the bears and snakes and robbers are better company than we are,” he added, “we’ll get out of your boat!”
“You’re just the lads to give the pirates a good drubbing!” Alex. laughed, “and so we’ll ask you to remain with us and learn something of the rules of polite society! Let me take one oar, unless you want to keep on going round in a circle!”
“There’s something pulling on the boat,” Gregg said. “I can’t keep it on a straight line. See if you can find out what has tangled us.”
Alex. turned on his searchlight and cast its rays on the water ahead. Then he dropped his light in the bottom of the boat and stuck his hands out straight. Gregg looked up as the light fell, then dropped the oars and stuck his hands out straight!
“This is the adventure you wanted!” Gregg said, as half a dozen negroes showed on a hummock only a few feet away. “We’re held up by the river thieves!”