ill was roused by a loud shout,
and, starting up so suddenly that the sun-umbrella went overboard, she
found herself sailing off alone, while the distracted lads roared and
beckoned vainly from the cove. The oars lay at their feet, where they
left them; and the poor child was quite helpless, for she could not
manage the sail, and even the parasol, with which she might have paddled
a little, had gone down with all sail set. For a minute, Jill was so
frightened that she could only look about her with a scared face, and
wonder if drowning was a very disagreeable thing. Then the sight of the
bicycle boy struggling with Jack, who seemed inclined to swim after her,
and Frank shouting wildly, "Hold on! Come back!" made her laugh in spite
of her fear, it was so comical, and their distress so much greater than
hers, since it was their own carelessness which caused the trouble.

"I can't come back! There's nothing to hold on to! You didn't fasten
me, and now I don't know where I'm going!" cried Jill, looking from the
shore to the treacherous sea that was gently carrying her away.

"Keep cool! We'll get a boat and come after you," roared Frank, before
he followed Jack, who had collected his wits and was tearing up the
rocks like a chamois hunter.

The bicycle boy calmly sat down to keep his eye on the runaway,
calling out from time to time such cheering remarks as "All aboard for
Liverpool! Give my love to Victoria! Luff and bear away when you come
to Halifax! If you are hard up for provisions, you'll find an apple and
some bait in my coat-pocket," and other directions for a comfortable
voyage, till his voice was lost in the distance as a stronger current
bore her swiftly away and the big waves began to tumble and splash.

At first Jill had laughed at his efforts to keep up her spirits, but
when the boat floated round a point of rock that shut in the cove, she
felt all alone, and sat quite still, wondering what would become of her.
She turned her back to the sea and looked at the dear, safe land, which
never had seemed so green and beautiful before. Up on the hill rustled
the wood through which the happy party were wandering to the Chasm.
On the rocks she still saw the crowd all busy with their own affairs,
unconscious of her danger. Here and there artists were sketching
in picturesque spots, and in one place an old gentleman sat fishing
peacefully. Jill called and waved her handkerchief, but he never looked
up, and an ugly lit