TO THE RESCUE
"Don't tell the girls, but I am going to swim ashore," whispered Walter
to Jack. "A nice fix we would be in if Mrs. Robinson came home and
found the girls missing."
"Swim ashore!" repeated Jack in surprise. "Why, Walter, it's a mile!"
"Can't help it. I can do it, and I see a light directly opposite here.
You give Ed the tip to keep the girls busy, while you stay back here
with me. I'll be overboard in no time."
Jack tried to persuade his friend not to take the risk, but Walter was
determined; so, unobservedly divesting himself of his heaviest
garments, he dropped over the side of the launch and was soon stroking
for the shore.
For some time the girls did not miss him, but Belle, keen to scent
danger, abruptly asked if Walter had fallen asleep.
"Yes," drawled Jack, "he is the laziest fellow."
Cora pinched Jack's arm, and he in return gave her two firm
impressions. She instantly knew that something was going on, and did
her best to divert Belle's attention from it.
"But where--is--he!" exclaimed Belle, for her gaze had traveled to the
end of the launch and back again without seeing Walter. "He--is gone!"
Realizing that the young man was actually not aboard the boat, she sank
down in abject terror, ready to cry.
"Don't take on so," said Ed. "He is all right. He has gone ashore to
get help."
"Gone ashore!" exclaimed both Belle and Bess in a breath.
"Girls, do you imagine we would sit here calmly and try to quiet you if
there was anything actually wrong?" asked Cora. "Why don't you give
the boys credit, once in a while, for having a little common sense?"
Looking across the water, the movement of the swimming youth could be
seen, where the moonlight reflected on the waves.
"Oh, I am so frightened!" exclaimed Belle. "I felt that something
would happen!"
"Something always does happen when it is expected," Cora told her, "but
let us hope it will be nothing worse than what we already are conscious
of. It was splendid of Walter to go, and I am sure he will return
safely."
"He's a first-rate swimmer," declared Ed, looking anxiously at the
little rippling motion that marked Walter's progress. "He can easily
go a mile."
Then quiet settled upon the party. It was, indeed, a gloomy prospect.
Stranded--Walter swimming in the bay--and nothing but sky above and
water beyond them, just far enough away to be out of the reach of the
launch.
All the thoughts of the young folks seemed to follow Walter. Belle hid
her face in her hands, Bess clung to Cora, and the two young men
watched the progress of the swimmer.
It seemed hours when, suddenly, a movement in the water, not far from
them both, was noticed by Bess.
"Oh! what is that?" she called. "Can it be----"
"Oh, it's Walter!" shrieked Belle, clasping her hands.
"It can't be!" answered Ed, at the some moment raising a lantern above
his head to see, if possible, what was making the splash in the water.
"It's as big--as--a----," began Belle.
"Horse!" finished Cora. "I saw a head just then."
"Oh, it's a whale!" cried Bess, actually dropping into the bottom of
the boat as if to hide from the monster.
"And he may have eaten Walter!" wailed Belle.
"Girls!" commanded Cora. "Do try not to be so foolish. There are no
whales in this bay." But all the same her voice was unsteady, and she
would have given worlds for a reassuring shout from Walter.
Another splash!
"There he goes! It's a porpoise!" cried Jack. "No danger of one of
those hog-fish going near a man. They're as timid as mice. Just see
him go! There ought to be a lot of others, for they generally go in
schools. Maybe this one was kept in because he couldn't spell 'book,'
and is just getting home."
Cora breathed a sigh of relief at Jack's joking tone. She didn't care
to see the big fish swim--she was only too glad that he was going, and
that he was of the harmless species described by Jack. The others
watched the porpoise as he made his way out to the open sea.
"My, I'll bet Walter was frightened if he met that fellow," said Ed.
"I wish he hadn't gone," he whispered to Jack a moment later.
"He said he would fire a pistol when he got to shore. He took a little
one with him, and it's waterproof. Let's listen."
As if the magical words had gone by wireless, at that very moment a
shot was heard!
"There! He's safe! That was his signal!" cried Jack, and Cora said
afterwards that he hugged Belle, although the youth declared it was his
own sister whom he had embraced.
"Now, we will only have to wait and not worry," Ed remarked. "Over at
that light there must be human beings, and they must have boats. Boats
plus humans equal rescue."
The relief from anxiety put the girls in better spirits. Bess and
Belle wondered if Nettie had returned, and speculated whether, on
finding them gone, she might have notified the police. Cora was
thinking about what sort of lifeboat Walter would return with, while Ed
and Jack were content to look and listen.
A good hour passed, when a light could be seen moving about the beach.
"They're coming, all right," declared Ed. "Watch that glimmer."
The light moved first to the north, then in the other direction, until
finally it became steady and was heading straight for the party in
distress.
"Wave your lantern," suggested Cora. "They may not be able to see it
as it stands."
Ed stood on the seat and circled the light about his head.
Breathlessly they stood there--waiting, wondering and watching.
"I'm going to call," said Bess, at the same moment shouting, "Walter!"
at the top of her voice.
"C-o-m-ing!" came the reply, and this time it was an open question
whether Bess hugged Ed or Jack.
"Now we will be all right," breathed Belle. "Oh, I shall never want to
see a motor boat again! The _Flyaway_ is good enough for me."
"Yes, I fancy a motor on the earth myself," Cora agreed, "but, of
course, a little experience like this adds to our general knowledge. I
hope Walter is all right."
"Just hear him laugh," said Jack, as a chuckle came over the water.
"Likely he has struck up with some mermaid. It would be just Wallie's
luck."
The merry voices that could now be heard were reassuring indeed.
Nearer and nearer they came, until the girls actually became interested
to the extent of arranging side combs and otherwise attending to little
niceties, dear to the heart of all girls.
"It's a mermaid, sure," declared Jack. "I heard her giggle!" and he
grabbed out Cora's side comb to arrange his own hair.
"Oh, it is--a girl," whispered Bess to Cora. "I heard her voice."
"I hope she's nice," answered Cora, "but as long as we get some one to
pull us off we have no occasion to be particular."
By this time the rowboat was almost alongside.
"Hurrah!" shouted Jack.
"Also hurray!" added Ed.
"Walter, you're a brick!" exclaimed Cora fervently.
The light of the lantern now fell upon the face of the stranger.
The stranded ones looked upon the countenance of a girl, not perhaps a
very young girl, nor a very pretty girl, but her face was pleasant, and
she pulled a stroke as steady as did Walter.
Walter stood up. He was enveloped in a bath robe!