ear!" screamed Kingdon, and swimming a few strokes along
the soft, green grass, he grabbed the bear and waved him aloft.

"What can we do!" stammered Marjorie, panting for breath. "I've swum
till I'm exhausted. Must I drown!" With a wail, she turned on her eyes
on the grass, and closing her eyes, prepared to sink beneath the waves.

"Do not despair," urged Kingdon, as he grasped her arm. "Perhaps we can
find a plank or a raft. Or perhaps we can yet swim ashore."

"How many survivors are we?" asked Marjorie, sitting up in the water and
looking about.

"Four," responded Kitty; "but I won't swim. It makes my dress all
greeny, and stubs my shoes out."

Kitty was the only Maynard who was finicky about her clothes. It called
forth much derision from her elder brother and sister, but she stood
firm. She would play their plays, until it came to "swimming" across
grass and earth, and there she rebelled.

"All right," said Kingdon, good-naturedly, "you needn't. There's a
raft," pointing to what had been the gangplank. "Cannot you and your
infant daughter manage to get ashore on that? This other lady is an
expert swimmer, and I think she can reach land, while Buffalo Bill will,
of course, save himself."

"Me save myself!" exclaimed Rosy Posy, gleefully. She had no objections
to swimming on land, and throwing her fat self down flat, kicked
vigorously, and assisted Boffin to swim by her side.

Kitty and Arabella arranged themselves on the raft, which Kitty
propelled by a series of hitches. The shipwrecked sufferers thus made
their way toward the desert island. There were several narrow escapes
from drowning, but they generously assisted each other, and once when
Kitty fell off her raft, the noble Captain offered to take Arabella on
his own broad and stalwart back.

Buffalo Bill frequently forgot she was in the tossing ocean, and walked
upright on her own fat legs.

But King said she was only "treading water," go that was all right.

At last they sighted land, and by a mighty effort, and much encouraging
of one another, they managed to reach the shore of the island.
Exhausted, Marjorie threw herself on the beach, and the half-drowned
Captain also dragged himself up on dry land. Kitty skilfully brought her
raft ashore, and stepped out, exclaiming: "Saved! But to what a fate!"

This was one of their favorite lines, and Marjorie weakly opened her
eyes to respond:

"Methinks I shall not see to-morrow's sun!"

"Hist!" whi