Then
all at once her hands touched bottom. A moment more and she lay full
length upon the wet, sandy bottom with the waves breaking over her.
Harriet groped with her hands and found that the water at arm's
length, ahead was but a few inches deep. She sprang up with, a weak
cry.
"Tommy, Tommy! We've made it."
"Fithh," muttered Grace.
Harriet grasped her by the arms and began backing toward shore,
dragging her companion with her.
The ground grew more and more solid as she backed. There could be no
doubt now. They were rapidly getting to dry land. Here, unlike the
beach fronting the camp, the ground sloped gradually up away from the
sea, then extended off among the trees a level stretch for some
distance.
Tommy struggled a little when Harriet raised her to her feet. The
latter did not know which way camp lay from where they had landed, but
she decided that it must be to the right of them. In this surmise
Harriet was correct, but the camp was farther away than she had
thought. She staggered along, half leading, half carrying, her
companion, until, exhausted by her efforts, she sank down, Tommy with
her.
"I can't go another step; I'm tired out," gasped Harriet.
"Ye-t-h," agreed Grace weakly.
The two girls toppled over and stretched out on the wet ground,
clasped in each other's arms.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102