d still, Fannie, just a
minute."

Rosemary stooped and felt carefully down about Fannie's feet. Her
hands struck a broken bottle and she lifted it out and tossed it on
the bank.

"That's what did it," she said calmly. "Hurry and let me see your
foot--wait I'll pull you up on the bank, Fannie."

But when Fannie saw her cut foot, which was bleeding profusely, and
the girls, who had crowded around saw it and her white, frightened
face, a veritable panic started. Fannie slipped into the brook,
crying with pain and fright, apparently believing that if her foot
was under water and out of sight it must stop bleeding, and the
other girls began a chorus of shrill screaming that tried Rosemary
to the point of exasperation.

"How can you be so silly!" she stormed. "Somebody hold Fannie's foot
while I tie it up; I know first-aid. She's losing blood all the
time. Somebody help me--Oh, don't stand there like that! Bessie,
can't you hold her foot just a minute?"

"I couldn't!" Bessie shivered and drew back. "My knees are wabbling
now, Rosemary. Blood always makes me so sick!"

"Then run," said Rosemary desperately, seeing that she could expect
no help from the frightened girls about her. "Run, and tell some of
the boys to come quick!"

CHAPTER XXVII

A LONG YEAR'S END

As Bessie obediently started in the direction of the ball-players,
Nina Edmonds uttered a shocked exclamation.

"Oh, Rosemary, I don't think you should have done that," she said
reprovingly. "We haven't our shoes and stockings on, you know."

"I suppose we should let Fannie bleed to death, then?" suggested
Rosemary, her great eyes snapping fire. "Fannie won't hold still
herself and not one of you has the nerve to hold her steady and yet
you stand there and make a fuss because a boy may see you without
your shoes and stockings on. If you're going to be ashamed of
anything, Nina Edmonds, be ashamed of being a coward!"

Nina flushed angrily, but Rosemary was trying to pull Fannie back on
the bank and paid no further attention to her. Fannie fought off any
attempt to touch her and she cried and groaned without a moment's
pause. Rosemary, straightening up after a hard and ineffectual
tussle, was relieved to see Bessie running toward them, followed by
a string of boys, Jack Welles in advance. Bessie's cries had reached
them long before she came to the field and they had correctly
interpreted her frantic appeals for help.

"Oh, Jack, I'm so glad you'