carbide lamp, and called a cheerful good-bye to Mrs. Moore, Uncle Andrew, and Linnie.
Then the Bob-Whites followed Slim single file down the winding path to the lake. He was as agile as an Ozark coonhound, but, slipping and sliding, they did manage to keep up. At the lake’s edge, they threw their nylon ropes and other paraphernalia into the boat and climbed aboard. Slim and Jim took the oars. Mart pushed off from shore, then jumped into the aft seat.
Here we go!” Trixie exclaimed.
Small waves rocked the boat, for a brisk breeze had come up. They sang as they went,
“Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily...
“Heavens, what on earth is that? Someone’s in trouble.” Trixie pointed. “Look, Jim—Brian!”
Jim dropped his oar quickly and went over the side. Mart and Brian, then Trixie, followed. They knew they could never get their boat to the rescue in time.
A gray-haired man was struggling in the water beyond the cove, clearly losing strength. He had no chance of reaching his overturned boat. Jim swam like a water rat, while Trixie, with strong, even strokes, followed close behind him.
“Stay with the boat, Honey,” Brian called back. “Pull it over here when we reach him!”
Jim, pushing himself at an amazing pace, reached the man first and tried to grasp the neck of his shirt to keep him afloat. Frenzied, the man put both arms around Jim’s neck, pulling them both underwater.
Jim bobbed to the surface, gasped desperately for breath, and shook the drowning man like a terrier to try to loosen his spasmodic grip. Trixie, closing in, with the boys right behind her, grasped the man’s fingers and twisted them to break his hold. He fought her with all his might, his face distorted in agony, but Trixie persisted, twisting vainly to free Jim’s throat. Then, before Brian or Mart could help her, she drew back her doubled fist and brought it up sharply under the elderly man’s chin. It struck with such force that at once the stunned man relaxed his hold.
It was a matter of seconds for Brian and Mart to take over. Mart freed Jim and began swimming back to the boat, pulling Jim’s weakened body after him. Brian grasped the elderly man under his chin and swam with short, fast scissors kicks and a fast arm pull. After a few strokes, he slid his hand down across the chest of the inert man and towed him. Trixie then righted the man’s boat, retrieved the floating oars, and pulled the boat through the water.
All of them converged on the lodge boat, which Slim, at Honey’s urging, propelled toward them.
Trixie held the elderly man’s boat still while Brian hoisted him in. He was already showing signs of returning strength when Brian took up the oars.
As the two of them headed toward shore, Trixie, her face reflecting the deep anxiety she felt for Jim, swam toward the lodge boat.
“What do you know, Trix?” Mart said as she climbed aboard. “Jim even swam part of the way here.”
“It would take more than that to knock me out,” Jim said huskily. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did, though, Trixie... all of you, for that matter. That man’s arms are made of steel.” He rubbed his throat.
Back where you come from, does it always take three men and a girl to rescue a person?” Slim asked sarcastically.
“Back where we come from,” Trixie answered coldly, “we don’t draw straws when a man is drowning.”
“If you mean why didn’t I go for him, too, I’ll tell you. With four of you in the water before I could say scat, I wasn’t hankerin’ for no swim. I figured, too, that a man with horse sense wouldn’t go out in no boat lessen he could swim. I ain’t no coward.”
The Bob-Whites neither affirmed nor denied his statement. Paying no attention whatever to Slim, Trixie said, “We’ll take the man to Mrs. Moore. She’ll know what to do.”
By the time they had beached the boat, the elderly man had regained some strength. “I think I
Then the Bob-Whites followed Slim single file down the winding path to the lake. He was as agile as an Ozark coonhound, but, slipping and sliding, they did manage to keep up. At the lake’s edge, they threw their nylon ropes and other paraphernalia into the boat and climbed aboard. Slim and Jim took the oars. Mart pushed off from shore, then jumped into the aft seat.
Here we go!” Trixie exclaimed.
Small waves rocked the boat, for a brisk breeze had come up. They sang as they went,
“Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily...
“Heavens, what on earth is that? Someone’s in trouble.” Trixie pointed. “Look, Jim—Brian!”
Jim dropped his oar quickly and went over the side. Mart and Brian, then Trixie, followed. They knew they could never get their boat to the rescue in time.
A gray-haired man was struggling in the water beyond the cove, clearly losing strength. He had no chance of reaching his overturned boat. Jim swam like a water rat, while Trixie, with strong, even strokes, followed close behind him.
“Stay with the boat, Honey,” Brian called back. “Pull it over here when we reach him!”
Jim, pushing himself at an amazing pace, reached the man first and tried to grasp the neck of his shirt to keep him afloat. Frenzied, the man put both arms around Jim’s neck, pulling them both underwater.
Jim bobbed to the surface, gasped desperately for breath, and shook the drowning man like a terrier to try to loosen his spasmodic grip. Trixie, closing in, with the boys right behind her, grasped the man’s fingers and twisted them to break his hold. He fought her with all his might, his face distorted in agony, but Trixie persisted, twisting vainly to free Jim’s throat. Then, before Brian or Mart could help her, she drew back her doubled fist and brought it up sharply under the elderly man’s chin. It struck with such force that at once the stunned man relaxed his hold.
It was a matter of seconds for Brian and Mart to take over. Mart freed Jim and began swimming back to the boat, pulling Jim’s weakened body after him. Brian grasped the elderly man under his chin and swam with short, fast scissors kicks and a fast arm pull. After a few strokes, he slid his hand down across the chest of the inert man and towed him. Trixie then righted the man’s boat, retrieved the floating oars, and pulled the boat through the water.
All of them converged on the lodge boat, which Slim, at Honey’s urging, propelled toward them.
Trixie held the elderly man’s boat still while Brian hoisted him in. He was already showing signs of returning strength when Brian took up the oars.
As the two of them headed toward shore, Trixie, her face reflecting the deep anxiety she felt for Jim, swam toward the lodge boat.
“What do you know, Trix?” Mart said as she climbed aboard. “Jim even swam part of the way here.”
“It would take more than that to knock me out,” Jim said huskily. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did, though, Trixie... all of you, for that matter. That man’s arms are made of steel.” He rubbed his throat.
Back where you come from, does it always take three men and a girl to rescue a person?” Slim asked sarcastically.
“Back where we come from,” Trixie answered coldly, “we don’t draw straws when a man is drowning.”
“If you mean why didn’t I go for him, too, I’ll tell you. With four of you in the water before I could say scat, I wasn’t hankerin’ for no swim. I figured, too, that a man with horse sense wouldn’t go out in no boat lessen he could swim. I ain’t no coward.”
The Bob-Whites neither affirmed nor denied his statement. Paying no attention whatever to Slim, Trixie said, “We’ll take the man to Mrs. Moore. She’ll know what to do.”
By the time they had beached the boat, the elderly man had regained some strength. “I think I
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