ited for the more complete restoration
of the girls whom they had rescued.

CHAPTER XVII

SENDING FOR SAM

The waiting of the boys continued longer than any of them had expected.

An hour passed and still no one appeared from the cottage.

"I wonder if there's anything wrong," said Fred as he glanced anxiously
at the door.

"I guess not," answered George promptly. "The girls probably are
exhausted, but I don't think there's anything serious. They came out of
it a good deal better than I was afraid they would at first."

Following George's statement, the two girls were seen at that moment
departing from the house. Accompanying them on their way to the dock
were several members of the household who were doing their utmost to
assist them.

Apparently, however, their services were neither required nor
requested, for in a moment both girls moved quickly in advance of the
little company and approached the dock.

Stepping quickly on board, Miss Susie said, "What did you do with my
canoe?"

"We have got it here for you in tow. We thought you would probably want
to take it with you and we're going to carry you home."

"That's very good of you," laughed the girl as she glanced back at her
companion to make sure that she too had boarded the motor-boat.

"If you're all ready to go," suggested Fred, "we'll start right away.
We have been waiting until you were ready."

"That's very good of you," again said the girl quickly. "I haven't
thanked my life preservers yet for what they did. If you had not been
there where you were the accident never would have happened," she added
boldly.

For a moment the four Go Ahead boys stared blankly at the girl, who
apparently had forgotten all their efforts to rescue her and her
companion. Fortunately for the boys they had had other suits of
clothing in the cabin of their boat so that all four now were clothed
and dry. But to have all their heroism forgotten and to be blamed for
being the cause of the accident was something which had not even
remotely occurred to them.

"Yes," declared the girl, "if you had left us alone we wouldn't have
tipped over."

"What was it we did?" demanded George.

"Why you came up with your old motor-boat and when I tried to be
polite, Mildred thought she had to do the same thing, and then over we
went."

"Well, that was the time when it was fortunate for you that we happened
to be nearby," said John dryly.

"That's just what you had to do;