atty heard her, but as one speaking in a dream, for her senses were
fast leaving her. Summoning up all the strength she had, she tried to
obey, but she had only made a few strokes when she suddenly dropped her
arms and sank again.

With a cry of horror and despair, Millie rushed down and into the water.
She could not swim, but she did not think of that now. Nothing else
mattered if she could but save Patty. She waded into the water until she
could scarcely touch the bottom with her feet. A big wave came rolling
in; one so big that it seemed as though it must carry her off her feet,
and away to sea.

It came, but it lifted her back quite close to the steps, and it brought
poor little unconscious Patty almost close to her feet.

Millie reached out and grabbed her by her hair and her skirt, and gripped
her tight, but it was not easy. Patty was a dead weight, and she had to
keep her own foothold or both would have been carried away as the wave
receded. Millie felt desperate. She could not raise Patty, heavy as she
was in her water-soaked clothes, and Patty, still unconscious, could not
help herself.

Fortunately, at that moment, Peter Carne came rowing leisurely homewards,
and in his boat with him was Patty Row's father.

Millie caught sight of them, and a great sob of relief broke from her.
She shouted and shouted at the top of her voice, and, clinging to Patty
with one hand, she waved the other frantically. "Would they see?
Would they see?" She screamed until she felt she had cracked her throat.
"Oh, what a noise the sea made!" she thought frantically, "how could
anyone's voice get above it."

They heard or caught sight of her at last. Her straining eyes saw the
boat heading for them. She saw Patty's father spring up and wave to them,
then seize another pair of oars, and pull till the lumbering great boat
seemed to skim the waves. Then strong arms gripped them and lifted them
into safety, and a moment or two later they were on the Quay once more,
and hurrying homewards.

Before she had been in her father's arms for many minutes Patty opened her
big blue eyes, and looked about her wonderingly.

"Where--am--I?" she asked, through her chattering teeth.

"You're in your old dad's arms now," said her father, brokenly, but with
an attempt at a smile, "but you'll be rolled up in blankets in a few
minutes, and popped into bed. It's where you have been that matters most.
How did you come to be taking a dip a