Then she laughed a little.
The steamer had turned about and was coming.
Frank saw something bobbing in the water and slowly paddled toward it. The little dog, whining and trying to climb on the shoulders of his mistress, swam along with them.
What Frank saw proved to be one of the life preservers that had been tossed overboard. He secured it, uttering an exclamation of satisfaction.
“Now you are all right!” he cried. “Let this life preserver buoy you up. The boat will reach us soon.”
She did as directed.
“But how about you?” she anxiously asked.
“I am all right. I believe there is another!”
In a few moments he had secured two more. On one of these he placed the dog; and the little creature clung to it, scrambling onto it again when he partly fell off.
“Hurrah!” cried Merry. “Now we are all right! Why, this is simply a little adventure to relieve the monotony of the trip up the lake.”