nt!"

"The current's taking us down stream!"

"That's it!"

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Jennie. "We'll land somewhere about at the
Academy, if we don't look out."

At that instant they both heard the swish of oars, or a paddle. In
unison they raised their voices in a shout:

"Help! This way!"

They could not see the craft approaching, for the mist on the river had
been growing thicker and thicker, all this time. But there was an
answering cry:

"I'm coming! Holler again!"

"Oh, it's a man!" gasped Jennie.

"It's a boy!" declared Nancy.

"Shout again!" cried the voice in the mist.

"Well, I'm going to be saved if I'm _not_ dressed for company,"
declared Jennie, and she raised her voice again:

"This way! We're in the water!"

"Coming!"

Then into sight flashed a ghostly craft, which came straight for them.

"Oh! it's only a canoe!" wailed Jennie. "We can't climb into a canoe."

"My goodness! It's two girls!" ejaculated the person paddling the canoe.

"Mr. Endress!" exclaimed Nancy, recognizing the boy from Dr. Dudley's
Academy.

"What?" shouted Bob Endress. "Is it Nancy Nelson?"

"And Jennie Bruce. We lost our boat. It sank," explained Nancy,
breathlessly.

"Each of you grab the gunwale of my canoe. Easy, now!" admonished Bob.

They did so, one on either side, astern.

"Now I can paddle you to shore. Just let your bodies float right out.
It's lucky I came along. The current's so strong around this bend."

"I never saw a boy so welcome before!" gasped Jennie, getting back her
courage immediately.

"And now I can return your compliment, Nancy," said Bob, laughing. "You
saved me from drowning, and if you hang on long enough I'll manage to
save you, I guess."

He could not paddle the canoe very swiftly with the weight of the two
girls dragging it down; but in ten minutes they were in shore and knew
that they were safe.

"We could wade in," said Nancy, gasping a little for breath.

"Wait," commanded the boy. "Hadn't I better take you right up to the
landing?"

"Oh, mercy! no!" cried Jennie. "We want to run right home across the
fields. The back door won't be locked."

"We'd better go to the gym. first and get skirts," said Nancy, the
practical. "Maybe we can slip in then without anybody being the wiser."

"How under the sun did you manage to sink that skiff of yours?" Bob
demanded, showing thereby that he knew more about Nancy and her chum
than Nancy had supposed.

"The plug came out,"