Then came Jane McCarthy's voice, in a
quick, warning shout:

"Here's trouble. Jump, girls! Jump! We're going in!"

They did not know what it was that they were going into, but not a
girl of them obeyed Jane's command. Margery half-arose from the seat.
Hazel pulled her back.

"Sit still, girls!" commanded Miss Elting. "Stop the car, Jane!"

The driver shut off and applied the brake. But she was too late. The
automobile kept on going. The roadway underneath it seemed to be
dropping away from them; for a few seconds they experienced the
sensation of riding on thin air; then the car lurched heavily forward,
and, with a mighty splash, plunged into water. A great sheet of solid
water leaped up and enveloped them.

"Everyone for herself!" cried Harriet Burrell. "Jump, girls!"

This time they _did_ essay to jump. Before they could do so, however,
they were struggling to free themselves from the sinking car, the
water already over their heads.

CHAPTER II

WHAT CAME OF A COLD PLUNGE

Five girls and their guardian struggled free from the sinking motor
car and began paddling for the surface. All knowing how to swim, they
instinctively held their breath when they felt the water closing over
them. Fortunately for the Meadow-Brook Girls, the top had been removed
from the car, else all would have been drowned before they could have
extricated themselves. Jane had the most difficulty in getting out.
She was held to her seat by the steering wheel for a few seconds, but
not so much as a thought of fear entered her mind. Crazy Jane went to
work methodically to free herself, which she succeeded in doing a few
seconds after her companions had reached the surface.

"Thave me, oh, thave me!" wailed Tommy Thompson chokingly.

There followed a great splashing, accompanied by shouts and choking
coughs. About this time Jane McCarthy's head appeared above the water.
She took a long, gasping breath, then called out:

"Here we are, darlin's! Is anybody wet?"

"Girls, are you all here?" cried Miss Elting anxiously. "Call your
names."

They did so, and there was relief in every heart when it was found
that not a girl was missing. But they had yet to learn how they
happened to be in the water. The latter was cold as ice, it seemed to
them, and their desire now was to get to shore as quickly as possible.
Which way the shore lay they did not know, but from the looks of the
sky-line it was apparent that they would not be obliged