ther dash of water struck them she screamed: "Hold
it, Bet! Don't let go!"

CHAPTER VI

THE RESCUE

After the canoe had started on its voyage that was to prove so
terrifying to the girls, Joy had stretched herself at full length in
the sand preparing for a lazy afternoon. She was content just to let
the sand sift through her fingers. Mostly she liked to dance or sing,
but today she was too indolent. Shirley busied herself as usual,
directing her camera this time toward some gulls that flew above her
head.

"Now I'm going to fix the camera ready to get a good snap of the girls
in the canoe. Kit wants one to send to her mother."

"I do believe they've gone clear over to the other side, haven't they,
Shirley?" said Joy jumping to her feet.

"There they are, they look like a little speck over there."

But as soon as they saw the first sign of a storm, they grew restless.
"I do wish those girls would get back! It's not safe to be out in a
canoe in any kind of a storm."

The cloud grew bigger and bigger and was turning black and menacing. A
storm was coming. "I know what I'm going to do," declared Joy. "That
rain isn't far off. I'm going for help before it's needed."

Just what she intended to do, she hardly knew. She had made no plan.
She would go to the Manor and tell Uncle Nat.

A few rods up the path she met Bob Evans and Phil Gordon.

"Here we are!" Bob shouted. "We've come without an invitation from
you, Joy Evans. Where's the eats? We're starved."

"Bet said she'd be glad to see us," laughed Phil, pretending
displeasure with Joy.

"Oh Bob, quick!" cried Joy. "Do something! Bet and Kit are out in the
canoe, just started back from the other side. It looks terribly mean,
I think there is going to be a bad storm."

"Oh you needn't worry if Bet is paddling. You can trust her. She can
paddle a canoe better than any man. I wouldn't be afraid for her even
in a storm," said Phil unconcernedly. "Anyway I don't think it will
amount to anything!"

"You're wrong, Phil," exclaimed Bob as they neared the beach. "That
cloud certainly looks like a storm." The first gust of wind struck
them.

"It's coming, all right!" Phil looked anxiously toward the canoe. "And
when it comes it's going to be a hum-dinger!"

"Let's get the motor boat into action," cried Bob. "If it blows up a
nasty squall, Kit may get panicky. You can trust Bet in a tight place,
but Kit is a new-comer."

"Can Kit