, as she wrung the water from her skirt and plumped down in the
sand. "I feel as weak as a rag."

"I guess it isn't much use trying to enjoy ourselves," sighed Betty
plaintively. "I've done my best, but all the time I feel as if I were
just trying to kid myself, in the vulgar vernacular."

"For goodness sake, don't you give up, Betty!" cried Grace, in alarm.
"If you get discouraged, then I don't know what we shall do."

"I'm not really discouraged--" Betty began, when a terrified cry cut her
short and the girls sprang to their feet bewildered.

"Where is it?" cried Mollie, but Betty caught her arm and pointed with
shaking fingers to an orange-colored cap bobbing on the water several
hundred feet from shore.

"It's Amy!" she gasped. "Something must have happened. Come on, girls!
Who's going with me?"

Without waiting for an answer, she was off like a shot with Mollie and
Grace close behind.

They had not missed quiet little Amy, and if they had, would probably
have thought she had gone for an unusually long swim. And now had come
her frantic cry for help.

"What is the matter?" Betty cried over and over to herself, as she put
all her strength into the long, powerful strokes. Amy was a splendid
swimmer, almost as good as Betty herself.

For one terrible moment the thought of sharks dashed into Betty's mind
and she shuddered. But the next minute reason reasserted itself and she
realized that sharks had never been seen on this coast. Baby ones,
perhaps, but not the man-eating variety.

She raised her head from the water and gazed in the direction of the
vivid cap. Yes, there it was! Thank heaven there was still time.

"Amy! Amy!" she called, "I'm coming. Just hold on for a minute, Honey.
I'm almost to you."

No answer came back to her, and when she looked again for the cap she
found to her horror that it was gone.

"Oh," she moaned, "I'm too late. I'm too late. Oh, Amy, Amy, just
another minute--just a little minute--" she redoubled her efforts and
suddenly gave a shout of joy.

There was the cap again, almost under her hand. In her frenzy of haste
she had covered the distance with almost unbelievable speed.

Her shout seemed to rouse Amy, who had been struggling feebly to keep
her head above the water, and the girl turned a terror-stricken face to
her.

"Can you put a hand on my shoulder?" gasped Betty, beginning to feel the
tremendous effort she had made. "Hang on to me, Honey, and we'll get out
of th