Suddenly a terrible thing happened! Silva threw up her hands and screamed. Tyma, a little in advance, turned and swam to her rescue, but once he had reached his sister’s side she caught him about the neck. It was all over in a second. The two sank together. The children on the jetty shrieked. Maida burst into tears. Harold started out at once for the fatal spot. Rosie made as though to follow him.
“Don’t Rosie,” Laura said with sudden coolness. “You’ll only be in the way.”
In the meantime, Arthur swam instantly for the spot where brother and sister had disappeared. He dived at once; staying under the water for what, to the frightened group on shore, seemed an incredible time. But he came up; filled his lungs with air; dived again. For the third time he appeared on the surface. For the third time he dived.
Suddenly many rods away on the top of the water appeared two heads—Silva’s and Tyma’s. Simultaneously Arthur came up gasping for air. The Burles managed to wave a hand; broke into high jeering laughter; then swam rapidly towards the other shore. By this time, Harold had reached Arthur’s side. Together they started after the practical jokers but both the boys were spent with their first long swim of the year. After a while, they turned and rejoined their friends on the shore.
“Can you beat that?” Arthur demanded. His face had taken on the black look that rage, with him, always developed. Rosie’s eyes darted lightnings. Maida had stopped crying and her eyes had changed too. Not glowering like Rosie’s, they had grown suddenly dark. Laura looked stupefied. Dicky had turned white. Great shadows jumped out under his eyes.
“That was the most dreadful thing I ever saw in my life,” Maida asserted in a voice, almost a whisper. “You might have drowned, Arthur.”
“I’ll get even with them for that,” Arthur said in a quiet voice. “You wait.”
“I don’t blame you,” Rosie declared. “I’m so mad I don’t know what I wouldn’t do.”
“I don’t believe they’re worth taking any notice of,” Laura decided contemptuously, “gypsies like that. Why don’t you tell their aunt, Maida?”