FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71  
72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   >>   >|  
de several awkward attempts to swim, then gave it up. "I can't do it, Harriet. What ith the uthe of trying to thwim any more?" "Don't you understand? We were on a sand bar. It was that that saved our lives after we were overcome. We should have drowned had it not been for the bar." "Yeth, but we are in deep water again," wailed Tommy. "Think, think! Don't be so stupid. We must be near the shore. I don't believe there would be a shallow place like that one far out from land." "Do you think tho?" Tommy's voice was weaker than before. "I am sure of it. Swim. That's a good girl." "I--I can't." "Then I will swim for you." Once more Harriet Burrell placed a hand under Grace and began swimming with her. The surf was behind them and was rapidly carrying them with it toward either the shore or the sea, Harriet neither knew nor thought which. Had she not been still half dazed she might have smelled the vegetation on shore, not so very far from them, but of this she took no heed. She swam, summoning all her strength to the task, knowing that she would not be able to keep up much longer. Then all at once her hands touched bottom. A moment more and she lay full length upon the wet, sandy bottom with the waves breaking over her. Harriet groped with her hands and found that the water at arm's length, ahead was but a few inches deep. She sprang up with, a weak cry. "Tommy, Tommy! We've made it." "Fithh," muttered Grace. Harriet grasped her by the arms and began backing toward shore, dragging her companion with her. The ground grew more and more solid as she backed. There could be no doubt now. They were rapidly getting to dry land. Here, unlike the beach fronting the camp, the ground sloped gradually up away from the sea, then extended off among the trees a level stretch for some distance. Tommy struggled a little when Harriet raised her to her feet. The latter did not know which way camp lay from where they had landed, but she decided that it must be to the right of them. In this surmise Harriet was correct, but the camp was farther away than she had thought. She staggered along, half leading, half carrying, her companion, until, exhausted by her efforts, she sank down, Tommy with her. "I can't go another step; I'm tired out," gasped Harriet. "Ye-t-h," agreed Grace weakly. The two girls toppled over and stretched out on the wet ground, clasped in each other's arms. They were almost instantly a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71  
72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Harriet

 

ground

 

length

 
rapidly
 

carrying

 

thought

 

companion

 

bottom

 
backed
 

sprang


fronting

 
backing
 

grasped

 
muttered
 

inches

 

dragging

 

sloped

 
unlike
 

leading

 

exhausted


efforts

 
gasped
 

clasped

 

instantly

 

stretched

 

toppled

 
agreed
 

weakly

 
staggered
 

farther


struggled

 

distance

 

raised

 

stretch

 
extended
 
decided
 
surmise
 

correct

 

landed

 

gradually


shallow

 

stupid

 
wailed
 

weaker

 

drowned

 

awkward

 
attempts
 

overcome

 

understand

 

knowing