he girls could see in the
catboat--leaned over and waved his hand to the girls. Was it meant to be
reassuring? They did not know until the _Coquette_ tacked so as to
run down very close to them.

"Is that his girl with you, Miss Mallory?" demanded Polly's father.

"No. She did not come. She doesn't know," cried Wyn. "Oh, Mr. Jarley! is
he all right?"

At that Mr. Lavine's head and shoulders appeared above the rail.

"We're alive, girls," he called, hoarsely. "This brave fellow caught us
just in time. Where's Bess?"

"She doesn't even know it was you in the burning boat," cried Wyn. "But
Frank and I started out for you."

"You'd been awfully wet before ever we could have reached you, though,
Mr. Lavine," choked Frank, quickly turning from tears to laughter, as
was her nature.

Mr. Jarley had dropped the sail again, and beckoned the girls to
approach.

"Come aboard," he said, gravely, "and I'll tow your canoes behind us.
Shall I take this gentleman to your camp, Miss Mallory?"

But Wyn was thinking to good purpose. She saw that Mr. Jarley, like his
daughter, wished to have nothing to do with the Lavines. She knew that
now Mr. Lavine would be doubly grateful to the boatman and that the time
was ripe for the old friends to come to a better understanding.

"Why, Mr. Jarley," she said, "we haven't a thing at the camp he can put
on--or the other man. No, sir. I don't know what we should do with them
there."

Jarley's face flushed and he glanced back at the Forge. But it was near
sunset already, and the Forge was much farther away than his own
landing. The case was obvious.

"Well," he said, "I can take them home. Polly will find something for
them to put on while their clothing is being dried. Yes! that may be
best."

"And you take us girls right along with you and we'll paddle home from
the landing," declared Wyn.

Wyn wanted to see Polly. After all, she believed, it lay with the
boatman's daughter to make friends between the Jarleys and the Lavines.
The captain of the Go-Ahead Club felt as though her long and exciting
vacation under canvas would come to a very happy conclusion if she could
see the two men who had once been such close friends, reunited.

Wyn was the first one ashore when the bow of the catboat touched the
landing. Polly came running from the cottage, for she had spied their
approach.

"Oh, Wynnie!" she cried, "what was it? Did father get them safely?"

"He saved them both--the most wond