"Look!" she cried. "A man in a boat!"
They all gazed to where she indicated, and beheld not a man, but a ragged youth standing up in a broad bottomed scow, poling himself down stream. He was headed directly for the Gem.
"Oh, he is just in time!" cried Mollie. "He'll get our boat for us!"
"Call to him!" directed Grace. "I'm so nervous that I can't speak above a whisper."
Mollie raised her voice in an appeal for help.
"Hello, there!" she called. "Our boat! Right in front of you! Can you get it? Scare away the alligator! It's towing our boat off! Please get it!"
The ragged youth looked up, startled, and glanced from the boat, seemingly moving up stream without any visible propelling agency, to the four girls on the shore. He seemed much surprised, and acted, as Betty said afterward, as though he would like to run away. She called to him:
"Look out for the alligator! Don't get into danger!"
The ragged youth now seemed to comprehend what was wanted of him. He poled his clumsy craft toward the Gem and peered down into the water to see what manner of creature was at the other end of the anchor rope. Then he waved his pole at the girls, as though to reassure them, and edged nearer the motor boat.
"All right!" he called, in a quick, nervous manner. "I see him. I'll get him for you."