There were always some of this wild crowd over at the “Point,” and it was for this reason as well as the very real danger of a collision with a recklessly driven boat that Betty’s father had rather discouraged the chums going over to that side of the river.

However the day was fine, the water of the river was as calm as a lake and the Gem flew across the sparkling water like a gull, bringing a flush of pure excitement and pleasure to the faces of the girls.  Danger—­ what danger could there be in this staunch little craft, with Betty at the wheel?

They were half way across the river, now—­ three quarters.  The gay pleasure craft flaunting up and down the river were becoming more numerous and Betty slackened speed.  Her breath came more quickly and her hands tightened on the wheel.  She could drive a boat as well as any boy, but here, she knew, was a situation to test her greatest skill.

Craft of all sizes and descriptions seemed to the excited girls to be piling up about them.  Most of the boats were being navigated carefully, but now and then a small, fast speed-craft would shoot out from behind another so suddenly that Betty would be forced to swerve sharply to one side, fairly grazing the stern of the racing boat.

On one of these occasions, when it had seemed impossible to avoid a collision, Amy called out sharply: 

“Oh, Betty, don’t you think we had better go back?”

And Betty replied with a queer little laugh: 

“Might just as well go ahead as back now.  We’ll be there in a minute.  Don’t worry.”

The words were scarcely out of her mouth when two craft running neck and neck and driven recklessly slipped out from behind a sailboat and drove directly down upon the Gem.  It seemed impossible that the Outdoor Girls could escape disaster.

CHAPTER VI

 Nearly wrecked

The girls did not scream.  Perhaps they were too frightened or perhaps it was just natural pluck.

They did jump to their feet though as if with some wild thought of leaping overboard.  But there they remained, staring with fascinated eyes at the fate that was bearing down upon them.

As for Betty, after one breath-taking minute when all the blood in her body seemed to rush to her head, she simply sat there and tried in the second that was given her to think what to do.

Almost automatically, she wrenched the wheel around, nearly capsizing the boat with the sudden turn.  At almost the same second, as though the thing had been prearranged, the boys in the racing craft swung around in the opposite direction.

A slight scraping as the side of the Gem slid along the side of the nearer of the racing craft, and they were safe, with no harm done with the exception of a little paint scraped from the side of the boat.

It was a moment before the girls could realize what had happened to them.  Then a voice hailed them from the boat alongside.  In a glance the girls perceived that the voice belonged to no other than Percy Falconer himself.