But the girls were making a lark of it. Every time a hat emptied a shout went up, and every time a hat leaked a groan moaned out.

"All in a life time," boomed Thistle. "But don't any one dare tell that story about the philosopher and the boatman."

"Never heard it," responded Betta, lifting a particularly well filled hat to the boat's edge.

Jimmie was now rowing. "a.s.sisting him in that capacity," as Pell expressed it, was Wyn.

"We gotta reach the Ledge," joked Thistle, "and I for one hate walking on the water."

"We betta----"

"Betta-be-good," went up the shout as Betta attempted to preach. She never got farther than that first misp.r.o.nounced two syllables nowadays.

Nora was now regarding the situation with more calmness. After the first fright it did not seem so dangerous, and the skill with which the jolly Scouts handled the task of bailing, was fascinating.

But suddenly something happened; no one shouted, no one even spoke, but in a twinkling the entire boatload of girls were scrambling in the water.

CHAPTER X

A NOVEL INITIATION

"Quick girls! Get Nora!"

This was the order given by Pell, who in emergencies a.s.sumed leadership.

"Here Nora," called Betta, "just put your hand on my shoulder. We can almost walk in. Don't be frightened."

But Nora was terribly frightened. That water! And not being able to swim a stroke!

"Look!" called out Thistle, who was now standing in the more shallow water, "it is only up to my shoulders. Just bring Nora out here and she can wade in," announced the Scotch girl.

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."

It was easy for Nora to laugh--she felt she would never do anything but laugh, it was so good to be safe within reach of sh.o.r.e once again.

Thistle and Wyn threw their wet heads back and emitted a "coo-hee." The call was taken up by the others, and instead of the incident being of an alarming nature it was thus turned into a lark.

"Coo-hee! Coo-hee!" sounded along the little lake basin, while shouts of laughter and expressions of opinion about bobbed heads after an unexpected ducking, were snapped from Scout to Scout as the party waded in.

So near the edge they were loath to emerge. No possibility of getting any wetter or spoiling anything more generally, but there was a possibility of more fun.

"Where's that Jimbsy boy?" demanded Pell. "We didn't leave him to the sharks, did we?"

"Look," replied Thistle, pointing to a little slash in the lake's outline. It was a pocket full of water just about big enough to float the upturned boat that Jimmie was pushing in through it.

"Poor boy! And we never asked him what he was out after," reflected Betta. "Maybe he had an order to bring a boat load of pa.s.sengers from the Ledge."

"We'll take up a collection for him," proposed Pell.

"What'll we collect?" asked Wyn.

"Opinions," replied the first. "They're most plentiful."

Nora was out of water and shaking herself like a poodle. Now that it was all over, the thrill was unmistakable.

"Look who's coming!" called out one of the girls, and turning around Nora glimpsed Ted coming down the narrow path.

"Quick, Nora, hide!" exclaimed Wyn. "Then spring out and surprise her."

Obeying, Nora jumped behind a big bush.

Even in the excitement she realized what companionship meant. It was so much more fun than playing at foolish dressing up and imagination games.

Could she have but understood more clearly she would have recognized in that situation the theory of having girls "do" to learn, and that active sport of the young is one of the standards of Scout teaching.

She listened as the girls greeted Mrs. Manton. No gasps of alarm nor expressions of fear were exchanged, for Cousin Ted was of the Scout calibre herself.

"Better hang on the hickory limbs and dry, before your leader sees you,"

she cautioned. "Those uniforms won't be fit for parade."

"And mine was all beautifully pressed," whimpered Pell.

"So were all our suits, Mrs. Manton," a.s.serted Thistle, "because we were calling on you first."

"Really! Did you see my little girl?"

"Oh, yes," drawled Betta.