Myrtle had thrown herself face down on the ground and was sobbing.
“Hush this minute, Myrtle!” said Cathalina. “You’ll scare Hilary. We’re going to get you up all right, Hilary!” Delicate little Cathalina stretched herself full length by Pauline and reached both hands to Hilary’s.
“I’ll only pull you over,” whispered Hilary, her right hand grasped by the determined Pauline, and her left seeking a precarious hold on the frail supports that were now almost torn away.
“No, you won’t. Come, hold my feet, girls, and don’t let go and I’ll take Hilary’s other hand,—sit on me or anything!”
The other girls who had been almost paralyzed by the sudden accident, followed Cathalina’s directions and assured Hilary that when Cathalina and Pauline were tired they would take their places. There was no foothold for Hilary, for the cliff sloped back under its edge, and the girls were not quite strong enough to draw Hilary’s weight up nor dared to risk any experiments. But just as they thought their arms would leave their sockets and their heads were swimming with the effort, Perry came running and crashing through the bushes, bringing a life preserver, a rope and his own strong arms. In a jiffy Hilary was up and over the edge and in the arms of the girls, who laughed and cried together.
“I say, Miss Hilary, you’re no featherweight! When I heard that screamin’, I grabbed the life preserver and broke into a run, plumb sure one of y’ was drowndin’!”
“Makes me think of between halves at a ball game,” cried Juliet who was rubbing Pauline’s arm. Hilary lay on the grass as far as possible from the edge of the cliff and rested with her head in Lilian’s lap. No explanations were necessary. Friendship was renewed without them. “I’m not strained as much as you’d think, girls,” said Hilary. “First, you see, I had hold of the tree, then as I slipped from that I held to the little things and got my elbows on the edge. But if Pauline had not gotten me just when she did,—my, I could hear that boiling surf down there and I tried not to imagine the rocks!” Cathalina declared that her arms were all right, and presently Hilary jumped up as lively as ever. “You girls and Perry saved me, so it has not spoiled our day. Come on; I’m hungry. I’m sorry I scared you all so—O, my glass!” Hilary looked at the girls in dismay. Cathalina came up and patted Hilary’s cheek. “Don’t feel bad, Hilary, you can have mine! I heard the glass go smash down there—but let’s be glad it wasn’t you!” For a minute Hilary hesitated. That field glass was such a treasure, Then Hilary was herself again. “No use, spilled milk; Gordon would tell me to ‘be a sport’; I’ll rent a glass till the bird study is over.”
Only Perry, who followed the girls with sober face, realized fully what might have happened to turn the happy day into tragedy.
A fire had been started on the bluff; something savory was simmering in pans and there was much spreading of sandwiches and opening of pickle and olive jars. Cathalina had secured from an enterprising lady of Greycliff Heights, home-made rolls, jelly and jam, doughnuts and potato chips. Various girls had brought their own contributions as well. “Wouldn’t our menu be a scream if it were printed?” said one. As usual there was more than enough, though it had been necessary to provide for two meals. “And we’ll be hungry, you know, girls,” had been said so much that it became a joke.
After the first meal there were games, and wading or swimming. The athletic Juliet and Pauline were learning to crochet and looked quite domestic as they bent above their work. Pauline learned a new stitch, but found that her arm was too lame to accomplish much. Swimming, alas, was out of the question for either her, Hilary or Cathalina. Even the intellectual Miss West was tatting, while everybody had raptures over Eloise’s beautiful embroidery. Hilary and Lilian wandered off to a shady spot not far from the beach, where the water lapped quietly and cunning little sandpipers ran along the moist sands. Later, after an earnest and evidently satisfactory conversation, they again joined the main company, most of whom were tired of roaming about.