"All ready out there?" demanded Darry.
"They're edging out farther," observed Burd Alling. "It wouldn't matter if you gave them a mile start; they'd take more if they could. Give 'em an inch and they'll take an ell," he quoted.
"You don't know what an ell is," scoffed his friend.
"It's something you put on a house after you think you've got all the rooms you'll ever need. I know," declared Burd, grinning.
"Come on out!" retorted Darry. "Cut the repartee. You have got to swim your little best, for those two girls are no slow-pokes."
"You've said something," agreed Burd. "Shoot! I am ready, Gridley."
"Huh!" exclaimed his chum. "You have even forgotten your Spanish War history."
"Shucks! They change history so fast now you don't more than learn one phase than you have to forget it and learn some other fellow's 'hindsight' of important events. The only way to get history straight," declared the philosophical Burd, "is to be Johnny-on-the-spot and see things happen."
"Now!" shouted Darry to the girls.
The four splashed in, the girls starting with a breast stroke and the boys having to run for some distance until the sea was deep enough to enable them to swim. The water beyond the ruffle of surf was almost calm. At least, the waves did not break, but heaved in, in smooth rollers. As Amy had said: The sea was taking deep-breathing exercises.