grit many a
boy might well boast of, and when I saw her drop from that pier I did
not have to hold my breath. I knew she'd make it."

"But how did she see that speck of a canoe creep around the pier?" asked
Jim Barstow, the oldest member of the crew next to Captain Dave.

"Maybe she felt it," said the captain. "'Taint likely much would happen
to Kitty without that little girl feeling it." But his men knew nothing
of the trust he was recalling, that might have formed the link of
confidence between the scouts and Kitty Scuttle.

Elizabeth, wise little friend, had rushed from the pavilion to the home
of Louise, to make sure no report of drowning should reach the ears of
the anxious mother.

"It was the most glorious sight," Elizabeth was just insisting when
Gerald drew up with the blue car, and Louise jumped out into her
mother's arms.

"Up to the hospital, Jerry," ordered Cleo. "We must see how Kitty is."

Julia and Helen went with Cleo, and it was their uniform, as usual, that
served as a pass, admitting them to the hospital.

Kitty had been revived, and was now becoming obstreperous, she insisted
on going home, and was loudly declaring her Uncle Pete would die of
fright, when he missed her and the canoe.

At the entrance of Cleo and Julia (Helen did not come in) Kitty all but
bounced out of the little white bed, and then, when she could get her
thin arms around Cleo's neck--then the tears fell.

"That will be good for her," said the nurse very quietly to Julia. "She
has been so wrought up, the outburst will relieve the strain."

But how Kitty could cry! And how she did yell! Cleo patted her shoulders
and soothed her with every sort of affectionate protestation, but all
the girl seemed to want to do was cry, and cry she did for so long a
time, the scouts felt more helpless with her than they had in the real
critical stage of the emergency.

"You be good, Kitty," said Cleo finally. "And I'll go right up to the
landing and shout for Uncle Pete. Then, when he comes over, I'll tell
him all about it--that is how you are perfectly all right," she
corrected herself. "If you are very quiet, and good, maybe the nurse
will let me in again to tell you what he says."

"And do you think I'm going to stay in this horspittal all night?"
protested Kitty. "Don't I know what they did to my mother."

This started another outburst, and seeing the hysterical child was not
apt to soon be quieted, the nurse insisted on her swall