more of what I said. I'm going to give you a young fellow to accompany you. He knows the river and the region around like a book, and anyone who tries to bother you when you're out he'll make short work of. He's a sort of deputy constable."
"Why do you think—I mean, in what way do you think anyone might try to bother us?" asked Betty.
"Oh, various ways. They might try to sell you a lot of useless trinkets, knowing you're from the North. Fancy shells, sea beans, curios and the like of that. You see, there isn't much ready money floating around among the poor people here. Even some of the scattered Seminoles—or what were once Seminole Indians—try to make a living selling trinkets they make themselves, and if they thought you had money they would become annoying. But Tom Osborne will see to 'em, all right. He knows a lot of 'em. When are you going?"
"Oh, in about an hour," answered Grace. "We're going to take our lunch and stay all day."
"That will suit Tom fine. He's very fond of—lunch!" and Mr. Hammond laughed.
"Doesn't he like—girls?" asked Mollie, with a blush.
"You can tell that better than I after you've
