the life boat had just made shore.

"Who--is--it, with her?" breathed Julia, for they could now see that
Louise sat up in the boat and had some one in her arms.

"It's Kitty!" shouted Helen. "She jumped to save Kitty. Oh, Louise, you
darling! You brave little True Tred!" she cried. "Let me get to her."

In another moment Julia and Helen were with Cleo and Margaret, who had
easily climbed down the pier, and were there when the boat came in.
Scarcely speaking, the little group waited for a space to reach the life
boat.

Louise, dripping, and sobbing just a little, sat in the skiff--with the
seemingly lifeless form of Kitty in her arms. Quickly as landing was
made one of the life savers picked up the unconscious girl, and rushed
off with her, while another attempted to lift Louise.

"Oh, I'm all right," she protested. "I don't need any help at all."

But Captain Dave was there and he took no such chance.

"Here, my girl," he commanded in a voice of the seas. "Lean on me and
come up to the station. Come along," this to the other scouts, "and you
young ones keep back there," to the boys.

Louise took a few steps, then faltered. As if expecting this the captain
stooped and lifted her in his arms, and it was a sight to remember, to
see that old sailor, trudge along through the sands with the little girl
scout almost on his broad shoulders.

And the remainder of the True Tred Troop were pressing along at his
heels.

"Keep back there, keep away," warned the kind officer to the surging
crowd, for the unspoken admiration for the Girl Scouts was now mounting
high.

Tommie Johnson was so proud of "his friends" that something like mutiny
seemed imminent in the boys' ranks.

"I told you, I told you!" he kept repeating, quite as if he had foretold
the entire occurrence, when he only really referred to the courage of
the Girl Scouts.

Up in the life saving station guards vied with one another in making hot
tea, and giving such administrations as might benefit Louise, while she
waited a few moments before being permitted to get in any one of the
many cars, offered to take her home.

"But I am really only wet now," she insisted finally, "and I want to get
out of this heavy uniform."

Realizing her mother might have heard any of the possible wild rumors,
Captain Dave helped her into Cleo's car and very proud indeed, was the
old sailor, of the wig wag rescue.

"No surprise to me," he told his men. "Those girls have the