ily on the smooth lake.
But it drifted farther and farther from land and now about twenty feet
of water separated the baby from the shore.

"We've got to get in the row boat and go out there," said Dotty, who was
already untying the rope.

"Yes, it's the only thing to do," agreed Dolly; "but you can't row, Dot,
and I can. So I'll take the boat, and you run for help. I don't know
whether you'd better go to the Norrises; I don't think there's anybody
there but the cook, or whether you'd better make straight for home and
get your father to come."

"I'll do both! I can run, if I can't row!" and Dotty flew off like a
deer up the hill toward the Norris camp.

Dolly stepped into the boat and shipped the oars. It was a large
flat-bottomed boat and the oars were heavy. Dolly knew how to row but
she was not expert at it, and, too, she dreaded to turn around with her
back to the baby. "Though," she thought to herself, in an agony of
conflicting ideas, "I've got to row out there, and I can't do it and
keep watch of Gladys both."

She pulled a few strokes, twisting her head between each to get a
glimpse of the baby who was now sitting quietly in the canoe, drifting
out toward the middle of the lake.

Not a motor boat or craft of any kind that might lend assistance was in
sight. They were at the extreme upper end of the lake and most of the
camps were farther down. Vainly Dolly scanned the water for a boat of
any kind, but saw none. Bravely she pulled at the big oars, but she was
not an athletic girl, and having been laid up so long with a broken leg
her muscles were weak.

She pulled as hard as she could, in a straight line toward the canoe,
but though she succeeded in lessening the distance between them she
could not get very near the baby, for the canoe drifted steadily away.

At last, by almost superhuman efforts, she came within a few feet of the
child, and then fearing to bump into the canoe and upset it, she turned
around and tried to back water gently. But the big oars were ungainly
and the task was not easy.

Moreover, Gladys was overjoyed at seeing Dolly in the other boat and she
expressed her joy by leaning over the side of the canoe.

Dolly's heart seemed to stop beating as she saw the wobbly little boat
careen with the laughing baby leaning far over the edge. She knew she
must not alarm the child and so in a desperate endeavour to speak
naturally, she called out, "Sit up straight, baby; see how straight you