"Can I give you a hand?" he asked.
The child, though swimming pluckily, evidently was hampered by being fully dressed.
"Can't swim a bit with my boots on," she gurgled. The boy smiled with genuine appreciation of her grit.
"You're the real thing," he said. "But it is hard swimming with boots on. Suppose you let me take you to shore. It's just as easy!"
He swam in front of the child.
"Put your hands on my shoulders," he said, "and keep your feet well up. Are you all right now?"
"Quite all right," she answered, dashing the water out of her eyes.
"I see they've put the fire out," said Eric, swimming quietly and easily, for the girl's touch was like a feather on his shoulder. "I don't believe the boat's much hurt."
"I'd be awfully glad if it wasn't," she answered, "because Jack just borrowed it for the day and I'm sure he's feeling terribly. We were just going to buy one this week."
"Perhaps this will scare him off."