“If that old alligator would just behave himself we could wade in and get it easy,” Penny said.
“Fancy trying it!”
“I’m afraid he would take special delight in snapping off an arm or a leg. And we don’t dare ask anyone to help us get the pin or we’ll be ejected from the grounds as trespassers.”
“We may as well forget about it, Penny. Come along, I’m sick of this place.”
“No, wait, Louise. We might be able to fish it out with a stick.”
“I don’t think we’d have a chance.”
“Anyway, it will do no harm to try.”
Penny searched the woods until she found a long stick with a curve at the end. Lying flat on the flagstones at the edge of the pool she prodded for the pin.
“I can touch it all right!” she cried. “I’ll pull it over to the side.”
“Be careful you don’t tumble in,” Louise warned, anxiously holding her chum by the waist. “If you should lose your balance—”