"No, I'm not a bit tired, and I can use two hands while you can use only
one. You oughtn't to use that left flapper of yours much while it's
weak, Dot."

"Pooh, it isn't weak! It's as strong as anything. Give me that rope!"

"No, sir, I won't do it," and there was a good-natured scuffle for the
possession of the rope as the four hands grabbed at it and each pair
tried to get the other pair off.

"Let go, you!" cried Dotty, pulling at Dolly's hands.

"Let go yourself!" Dolly replied, laughingly, and then,--they never knew
quite how it happened, but somehow their scramble had pulled the rope
loose from the post, and as they twisted each other's hands, the rope
slipped away from them and slid away under the water.

The lake was full of cross currents and even before they realised what
had happened the canoe was several feet from shore. To Gladys it seemed
like some new game and she clapped her hands and shouted in glee, "Daddy
saily all aloney,--far, far away!" She waved her baby arms and rocked
back and forth in joy.

Dotty and Dolly were for a moment paralysed with fright. Then Dotty,
grabbing Dolly's arm, said, "_Don't_ stand there like that! We must _do_
something! That baby will drown! Let's holler for help."

Dotty tried to scream, but her heart was beating so wildly and her
nerves pulsing so rapidly she could make scarcely any sound, and her
wail of agony died away in a whisper.

"I can't yell, either," said Dolly, hoarsely, as she trembled like a
leaf. "But we must _do_ something! _Don't_ go to pieces, Dotty--"

"Go to pieces nothing! You're going to faint yourself. Now stop it,
Dollyrinda," and Dotty gave her a shake. "We've got to save that child,
no matter how we do it!-- Sit still, baby, won't you?" she called to
Gladys.

But the child bounced about in her new-found freedom and grasping each
side of the canoe with her little hands began to rock it as hard as her
baby strength would allow.

"Oh!" breathed Dolly, who was watching with staring eyes; "sit still,
little Gladys; don't rock the boat, dearie."

"Ess; rock-a-by-baby, in a saily boat!" and again Gladys swayed the
little craft from side to side.

"We must make her stop that first of all," and Dotty wrung her hands as
she stepped down to the water's edge and even into the water as she
called to the baby. "Gladys, sit very still, and Doddy come out there in
another boat. Sit _very_ still."

Gladys did sit still, and the canoe floated stead