nk, and it struck her that this would make a most
comfortable and delightful rustic seat. She climbed on to it quite
easily, crawled along, and sat at the end with her feet swinging over
the river. It was such an idyllic situation that she felt herself a
mixture of a tree nymph and a water nymph, or--to follow the Major's
humor--could almost imagine that she was taking her holiday in the shape
of a bird. If she would have been content to remain quietly seated, just
enjoying the scenery all might have been well, but unfortunately Carmel
made the discovery that by exercising a little energy she could make the
stump rock. The sensation was as pleasant as a swing. Up and down and up
and down she swayed, till the poor old split tree could bear the strain
no longer, and suddenly, with an awful crash, the part on which she
rested broke off, and precipitated her into the river. Her cry of terror
as she struck the water echoed through the wood. As she rose to the
surface she managed to clutch hold of some of the branches and support
herself, but she was in a position of great danger, for the stump was
hardly holding to the edge of the bank, and in another moment or two
would probably be whirled away by the current.

As she shouted again there was a quick dash through the undergrowth, and
Johnson the chauffeur shot down through the wood at a speed that could
almost compete with the car's. In a bound he jumped the bank, and,
plunging into the river, struggled to her help and succeeded in pulling
her back out of the current into the shallow water among the reeds at
the brink.

By this time Major and Mrs. Rogers and Sheila had all three rushed to
the spot, and were able to extend hands from the bank. Carmel and
Johnson both scrambled out of the river wet through and covered with
mud, the most wretched and dilapidated objects.

"Oh! she'll take a chill! Whatever are we to do to get her dry?" cried
Mrs. Rogers distractedly, mopping her young guest's streaming face with
a dainty lace-bordered handkerchief. "Is there a cottage anywhere near?"

"We'd better get into the car and motor along till we find one,"
suggested Major Rogers. "Johnson, you deserve a medal for this! I never
saw anything so prompt in my life. It was like a whirlwind!"

"We shall make a horrible mess of the car!" objected Carmel, trying to
wipe some of the mud from her clothes.

"Never mind; sit on this rug. You're shivering already, child! Sheila,
bring my hand