“Yes, Jan, I’m here,” he answered, and the crowd, hearing his voice, opened that he might pass the circle of curious ones and get to his sister.
“I’m glad you didn’t get in the sea puss,” said Janet, as she struggled to her feet. “It was terrible!”
“I was coming in right after you,” Teddy said, “but——”
“I guess I knocked you out of the way in my hurry,” said Jerry Condon. “Hope I didn’t hurt you,” he added.
“Oh, no, I’m all right,” Teddy answered.
As the surf and the undertow was getting too rough for even skillful swimmers to be out in it, the bathers came from the water, and, after a time, Teddy and Janet went back to their cottage. Their mother at once guessed from their faces that something had happened, and she was quite alarmed when the story was told.
“I think I won’t let you go down to the beach alone any more,” she decided.
“Oh, Mother! we’ll be real careful,” pleaded Janet. “Every time before I go in I’ll ask the life guard if it’s all right. And if he says there’s a bad sea puss I won’t go in.”
“I won’t, either,” promised Teddy.
“Well, we shall see about it,” remarked Mrs. Martin. “At any rate, don’t go in again to-day,” and the Curlytops didn’t.