Jakey took a last look at her and with fear in his eyes as he thought of his disobedience, he turned to run away from the picnic grove—even if he had to run all the way back to the city. He could not face Uncle Ben’s stern rebuke, for he was sure he would be properly scolded and punished for breaking a law.
Had not Maggie seen a boat with one passenger skim out in the direction of the old grist-mill, Prunel might have met with more serious disaster than that which befell her craft.
“Looka dere, Miss Marting! A little girl is out in a boat alone,” called Maggie to her friend.
“Why—it’s——” Miss Martin quickly glanced at Maggie before completing her sentence.
But Maggie, too, saw a resemblance to Prunel. She hurriedly hunted about amongst the groups of children, and not finding her sister anywhere, she shouted to one of the Policemen.
In the meantime, Miss Martin, understanding the situation, ran to tell Uncle Ben what had happened to Prunel. He called upon the Police and Firemen nearest him and all ran to the place where the three boats had been tied but a short time before.
Here they saw Jakey wading from the water and taking to his heels so the Policeman who had warned him cried: “Now what’che gone and done?”
Jakey trembled from head to foot as he was caught and brought back to Uncle Ben. Then he explained how the accident had happened to Prunel. As he hurriedly described the scene, the Police found that neither boat had any oars so pursuit to bring back the water-waif in that way was out of the question.
“Can anyone swim dat far?” questioned one of the firemen.
“Not in fresh water—I kin swim anywhere in salt water,” returned one of the boys.