The children kissed. Then, worn out by the thrilling events of the night, slumber claimed them and held them captive until late next day.

CHAPTER V

Walking on Stilts

Julia came on the promised morning, and, to the delight of Beth, she brought not only her own stilts, but bore an extra pair as a gift to Beth.

Poor Beth was black and blue all over before she conquered those unruly stilts, but it took more than bruises to dampen her ardor.

Julia was an expert in stilt walking. She could go up and down steps on hers; she could dance with them, and do other feats that appeared marvelous to Beth, and made her ambitious to do likewise.

However, Beth persevered so faithfully that soon she was on the road to being an expert herself. Stilts took up a good share of the morning, and, by lunch time, both children had fine appet.i.tes, although Beth was very tired.

Mrs. Davenport suggested that the children play in the house for a change. They soon tired, however, of the indoor sports, and Beth, although she was so lame that she could hardly move, declared that she had never felt better, and away they ran to their stilts again.

Julia had already shown off about all of her stilt accomplishments, so she thought and thought to devise something new whereby to arouse Beth's admiration afresh.

"Beth, I have it. We'll walk out in the river on our stilts. I've never tried that. It will be great."

Beth looked somewhat doubtful.

"Weren't stilts made for land? They're not boats."

"Oh, pshaw. If you're afraid, you can watch me."

Watch her indeed! Dragons could not have kept Beth from making the attempt if Julia did.

They took their stilts to the river. Beth was in such a hurry to show Julia she was not afraid, that she had great difficulty in starting.

Julia mounted, and walked out into the water as proudly as a peac.o.c.k.

Beth followed, but, of necessity, more slowly, and she kept near the wharf. Julia skimmed through the water for a minute or two almost as easily as she went on land. But alas, pride goes before a fall.

The river bed near the sh.o.r.e is of hard sand, but a little way out it becomes marshy.

Suddenly Julia's stilts stuck. She tried to raise them, but they would not budge. Now, as every stilt walker knows, it is impossible to stay motionless on stilts. Over Julia went into the water, headforemost.

Beth was so startled that she herself almost lost her balance, but, fortunately, she grabbed the wharf, and scrambled up on that. Away floated her stilts.

"h.e.l.lo, what have we here?" and Harvey's boat darted towards them from under the bridge.

"Oh, Harvey, save her," cried poor Beth, almost in tears but somewhat rea.s.sured now that her boy friend was near.

"The water is hardly deep enough to drown a flea," he answered.

However, he rowed up to Julia, and held out his hand.

"You had better step into my boat; you might be a worse stick in the mud than ever if you waded ash.o.r.e."

"I prefer to walk."

Julia tried to look dignified, but the attempt was an utter failure.

Dirty water dripped from her matted hair, while her face and clothes were streaked with mud.

Harvey could not keep back his laughter at the odd sight, and it made Julia very indignant. She said nothing to him, however, but instead seemed to be angry with her innocent little girl friend.

Beth ran to meet her and Julia gave vent to her feelings by crying:

"Beth Davenport, are you laughing at me too? Well, I'd rather be laughed at than be a 'fraid cat like you."

Now Beth thought this was very mean, especially when she had considered herself so brave. She therefore could not resist the temptation of saying:

"Well, anyway, I told you that stilts weren't boats."

"I'm going home, Beth Davenport."

Poor Julia looked so forlorn that Beth relented.

"Julia, really I didn't laugh. Please come home with me."

"Beth," called Harvey from the river, "I wish you'd get Miss Stick-in-the-Mud's picture for me. It would be the funniest thing I ever saw."

"What a horrid boy," exclaimed Julia.

By the time the children reached the house, Julia had been persuaded to remain.

Mrs. Davenport refrained from giving them much of a scolding, as she thought Julia really needed coddling a little. She was soon arrayed in some of Beth's clothes.

Shortly after, Mrs. Gordon came in to make a call on Mrs. Davenport.

She proved a very lovable woman, and won the hearts of both Beth and her mother immediately.

The accident was related to her. She drew Julia to her side and said:

"Daughter, you really must be more careful. What would mamma do if anything happened to her little girl? Never again try walking in the river on stilts."

Both Julia and Beth immediately experienced a sinking of the heart.

Her words reminded them that their beloved stilts had not been rescued from the river. Julia ran towards the door.

"Daughter, where are you going?"

"After my stilts. They're in the river."

"Leave them there. You've had enough of stilts." And remain in the river they did, although the girls pleaded very hard to get them.

Julia was asked to stay all night, and her mother consented, taking her departure alone.

"Julia," said Beth, "I must tell you about a dream I had the night of the fire. It was about stilts that reached up to the clouds, and I walked on them. Then I began to fly. Oh, it was lovely. I wish we could really fly."