The sight of Thistle actually standing on her feet brought to Nora the first free breath she had breathed since that awful thing happened. Now she had courage to stop choking and do as she had been told.
“Why, you swam that time,” puffed Betta to whom Nora had struggled. Did she really swim? She felt herself buoyed up for a moment somehow, in fact she had never gone down.
Before that supporting move had lost its endurance her hand was safely on Betta’s shoulder, and both were moving slowly but securely towards the bank.
“That’s it,” Pell encouraged. “No need for any trouble if you just keep—cool!”
“Cool enough,” grumbled Thistle. “I hate lakes for that,” she continued to call out.
“How’s that!” asked Betta when she reached the shallow water from which point all were wading in.
“Wonderful!” exclaimed Nora. Her relief was so great it seemed to her pure joy.
“Your first?” asked Wyn.
“First?” repeated Nora.
“First ducking,” added Wyn. “If so it is your official initiation. You are now a full fledged member of the Chickadees.”