Therefore one girl after another jumped in, and when it was really too full for safety it was pushed out from the landing. Just about the time the current which set toward the middle of the pond seized the punt, it was discovered that nobody had thought of oars.
"How under the sun did you suppose a thing like this was going to be propelled?" Heavy demanded. "I never did see such a fellow as you are, Mandy Mitchell!"
"You needn't scold me," declared the Mitchell girl. "You invited me into the boat."
"Did I? Why! I must have been crazy, then!" declared Heavy. "And didn't any of you think how we were going to get back to shore?"
"Nor we don't know now," cried another girl.
"Oh-o!" gasped one of the others, darting a frightened look ahead. "We're aiming right for the dam."
"You wouldn't expect the boat to drift against the current, would you?" snapped Heavy.
"Let's scream!" cried another—and they could all do that to perfection. In a very few minutes it was apparent to everybody within the circle of half a mile or more that a bunch of girls was in trouble—or thought so!
"Sit down!" gasped Heavy. "Don't rock the boat. If that yelling doesn't bring anybody, we're due to reach a watery grave, sure enough."
"Oh, don't, Heavy!" wailed one of the weaker ones. "How can you?"