They succeeded in heading the boat for shore, but they had only rowed a short distance when Grace cried:
"The water is still coming in!"
There was no doubt about it. They all stared at the place where, under water, Betty had thrust in the handkerchiefs. There was a string of small bubbles, showing that the river water was still finding its way into the boat.
"Help! Help! Help!" suddenly called Amy.
"Why—what's the matter?" demanded Betty, in alarm.
"Oh, there's someone on shore, near a boat! It's a man—or a boy! He must come out and rescue us!" said Amy, and there was a trace of tears in her voice.
"What's—the—matter?" came the hail from the one on shore.
"We're—sinking!" called Betty, making a megaphone of her hands. "Come out and save us!"
"All right!" and then the following words were lost as the wind carried them aside. The youth on shore—the girls could now see that he was a youth—began shoving out a boat. He did not seem very adept in the knowledge of rowing, and took quite a little time to get under way.
"Oh, it's that Percy Falconer!" cried Betty. "He'll never get to us!
Girls, I guess we'll have to swim for it, after all!"