Of course Bunny and Sue were delighted with this. They never tired of bathing, and soon they were splashing about in the cove. They were not the only ones, for many of the neighboring cottagers and bungalow residents took advantage of the water to cool off.
"Be careful and don't go out too far!" called Mrs. Brown to Bunny and Sue, as she went up on the beach to talk to some friends, leaving the children in the water. "The tide is coming in."
"We'll be careful!" promised Bunny. "Here, Sue, give me your hand and we'll wade out to the float."
The float was made of some planks fastened to empty barrels, and it was a fine place to play. As Sue and Bunny were wading out they noticed a boy whom they had not seen before wading beside them.
"Hello!" said Bunny, in friendly spirit. "Did you just come?"
"Yes. We came to the hotel last night," was the answer. "I never was at the ocean before. We're going to stay all through August."
"This isn't the ocean," said Bunny. "It's just Christmas Tree Cove. The ocean is lots bigger."
"I'd like to see it," said the new boy.
"Look out!" suddenly called Sue. "Here comes a big wave!"
She had just time to take a tighter hold of Bunny and turn, but the new boy did not seem to know much about bathing or waves. He stood waiting, and, an instant later he was knocked down and his head went under water.