Miss Elting came up so suddenly that her rescuer fell over, narrowly escaping a plunge into the morass. The guardian was finally dragged to the path. The rescuers then turned their attention to the other girls. Their wooden raft was slowly sinking under the weight that had been put upon it, but fresh stuff was being constantly piled on it to keep it above the mud. One by one the Meadow-Brook Girls were hauled out.
Harriet had helped Miss Elting aside into the shadows, where she assisted the guardian in scraping the mud from her clothing. At first Miss Elting was barely able to stand. She found herself trembling from head to foot now that the strain, mental and physical, was removed.
“Here’s another one!” cried the cheery voice of the leader
“What wonderful boys!” breathed Miss Elting, starting to go to Tommy’s assistance.
“Please lie down on the ground and rest, Miss Elting. Don’t try to get up until we are ready to start. I can take care of the others as they are dragged out,” directed Harriet.
She assisted Tommy to a place beside Miss Elting, the latter insisting upon trying to help the unfortunate and humiliated Tommy in her distressing condition.
“I withh I had thome clotheth fit to be theen,” complained the little girl. “Thith dreth ith a thight.”
“Be thankful that you are alive,” answered Harriet sharply.
“We should have perished, had it not been for you,” answered the guardian.
“Considering that I was the only one who didn’t get into the mud, I simply had to be the one to go for help. I don’t deserve any credit,” flung back Harriet, hurrying over to assist the suffering Buster. After Buster, came Hazel, the last to be rescued.