the guard, the life line!" the air itself seemed to form the
words, but only that speck at the end of the pier could be seen now,
bobbing up and down, then--yes--it was a little boat, a canoe! That was
what the scout had dived for!

If ever they had occasion to summon and use courage, the scouts, both
boys and girls, had need of it now. Along the boardwalk the excitement
was so intense as to cause danger of children being trampled on, and in
this emergency those Girl Scouts not on the pier helped the Boy Scouts
in efforts to prevent disaster.

But it was that tiny spot on the water that held the crowd with a bated
breath.

"She must drown! Oh, that lovely girl!" they were gasping.

"Louise won't drown," said Julia, her face white as the muslin in her
flag.

"No, Weasie _can_ swim," Helen assured her, holding her arm very tight,
and begging comfort in the embrace.

"And we can't even get near her," moaned Julia, who just then had
rescued a very little tot from a plunge down the high steps into the
street.

"The line, the boat, they have her!" came another shout, and Julia
wanted to sink on her knees.

"Oh, is the boat there? Can you see, Helen?" she begged.

"Yes, yes, it's the life boat, they have come! Didn't it seem an
eternity?"

Instantly the accident occurred police officers had roped off the end of
the pier to prevent any one rushing in, and now there stood at the steps
the formidable ambulance.

"Oh, they must not take her to a hospital," wailed Helen. "Let us get to
her, Julia. She will surely be all right in a little while."

"They are bringing them in a life boat," a gentlemen with marine glasses
said. He had seen their distress and recognized their uniform.

"Oh, thank you, but how can we get to them?" begged Julia. "If only we
could move through this awful crowd."

"I have a police whistle," he said. "I'll just blow it, and when the
officer answers I'll explain. Remain quietly where you are."

The magic whistle shrilled its signal, and the crowd fell back, while
the motorcycle officer answered. The gentleman quickly explained the
situation, and the two girls climbed to the rear seat of the motor,
where they clung, as the officer piloted them through the autos and
street crowds up to the pier.

"They're in! They're in!" the people were now shouting. But Julia and
Helen were almost afraid to look.

Leaving his motorcycle at the boardwalk, the officer led the girls down
on the sands where