ld not resist the temptation to disport himself
awhile in the cool, refreshing element. He sank until his bare feet
touched the pebbly bottom, and then shot upward with a bound; then he
went over backward, floundered, and tumbled about like a porpoise.

"Nick," called his sister, "you had better hurry and get that raft, for
I cannot see it now."

This startled the lad, but when he found he could not see Nellie either,
he understood that it was on account of the overshadowing gloom that had
fallen still lower; at the same time the disturbance of the atmosphere
had caused a strong wind to blow across the pond, and it was doubtless
this which had started the mass of pine logs from the land, and was now
bearing it away from where it lay when discovered by the girl.

"Are you comfortable there?" called out Nick to his sister.

"Yes, but don't wait too long, for it is growing warm, and I think the
fire is close to me."

The lad felt he had done wrong in idling his time, and he bent all his
energies toward swimming to the raft, which, under any circumstances
could not be far off.

As it was, Nick was amazed to find it necessary to go a considerable
ways before he caught sight of the familiar pile of logs floating
buoyantly on the water, but he speedily reached them, and, drawing
himself on top, hunted for the long pole that he had used so many times
in navigating the pond.

But it was not there, and he sank back into the water, and, holding on
with his hands, used his feet vigorously to propel the raft toward the
bank, where he had left his loved sister but a short time before.

"I'll soon be there, Nellie," he called; "are you all right?"

This was a curious question to ask, though it was natural, perhaps, for
any boy, under similar circumstances, but Nick felt a pang of fear when
he repeated the call and did not receive any answer.

He put forth all the energy at his command, and steadily pushed the
float toward land. Now and then, while doing so, he shouted to his
sister, without hearing any reply.

"Can it be anything has happened to her?" he asked himself several times
as he peered through the gloom, unable to catch the outlines of brave
little Nellie.

CHAPTER XXXV.

WHAT FRIGHTENED NELLIE.

Nick Ribsam thought not of himself, in his anxiety for his sister. He
had left her but a few brief minutes before, sitting on the shore of the
lake, and now when he returned she was missing.

He had called