Amy had climbed up to her, had taken in the situation in one startled glance. Nell, who had been following Jessie, clung to a branch, staring down, weak and sick with fright.
“Hang on, Jess, honey,” begged Amy. “We will get you out all right. Hold on for just another minute.”
Jessie held on desperately while Amy tugged5 at her foot, and Nell, mastering her fright, descended6 slowly. Miss Alling was calling out advice and commands. A horrible dizziness was engulfing7 Jessie. She felt as though all the blood in her body was pounding in her ears. The sight of the ground so far below set her senses reeling, made her fingers feel like putty.
“Are you holding hard?” she heard Amy’s voice asking as though from a long distance. “I have your foot loose, Jess and Nell is waiting below to catch you and let you down easy. Can you hold on?”
Jessie must have said yes, though she never afterward8 remembered having done so, for the next moment she felt her foot released, felt herself swing downward, felt Nell catch her in one strong young arm and hold her tight against the tree the while Nell’s voice urged frantically9:
“There, put your foot on that branch—to the right—to the right!”
She felt it at last—something solid under her foot! She clung there, fighting the dizziness that swept over her again, thankful for Nell’s supporting arm.
The vertigo10 lasted for only a moment, and with the help of the girls she managed somehow to make the rest of that descent and reach the ground. There Miss Alling caught her in her arms and half led, half carried her into the lodge11.
Phrosy, all whites-of-eyes and sympathy, made her a cup of tea and fussed over her until Jessie declared she would begin to think herself an invalid12 before long, instead of a perfectly13 healthy outdoor girl who had met with a simple accident.
“If that was simple, I hope I never meet anything complex!” was Amy’s comment.
In spite of the dreadful fright and shaking up they had had, the girls insisted upon finishing the work of installing the radio before the boys returned.
“For, after all our boasting, they must never know how near I came to grief,” was Jessie’s decision, and in this both Amy and Nell heartily15 agreed with her. It was easy to win Miss Alling and Phrosy over to their side, and it was solemnly vowed16 that absolute silence should be kept concerning the accident.
They worked feverishly17 after that, hoping to make up for lost time. The dangling18 aerial wires were attached to the roof of the lodge. Amy and Nell took charge of this, laying down the law that Jessie was to do no more climbing that day. Jessie herself adjusted the lead-in wire.
At last all was in readiness and the girls sat down to “listen in” with a pride and pleasure that more than paid them for their exertion19.
Aunt Emma’s interest was also flattering, although she had a few sharp things to say about the inconvenience of using head phones.
They were thoroughly20 enjoying themselves when the boys came back, declaring that they had had a most delightful21 hike through the woods. They were really surprised to find the set erected22 and in working order in such a short time, and very heartily said so. In fact, everything was going splendidly when Darry made the announcement that he and the other boys intended to take a short run to Gibbonsville.
“But, when?” asked Amy, staring at him.
“Why, right away. It won’t take long,” returned Darry, at which his sister quite pointedly23 turned her back on him.
“You may all go when you like and stay as long as you please,” she informed him icily.
A few minutes later the girls stood watching Darry’s car as it disappeared in a cloud of dust down the road.
“I reckon I know why Darry has gone to Gibbonsville,” said Jessie, slowly. “He has gone to see that girl!”
“You mean that girl who passed the bad five-dollar bill on me?” demanded Amy.
“Yes.”
“But why should he go to see her?”
“I don’t know. It is certainly a mystery,” answered Jessie, and turned away. Somehow, she felt that she did not care just then to say more. She went in and set to work to adjust the radio set so that they might listen in with greater ease and clearness. She had found that she could always “lose herself” when working over the radio.
“I think it is mean of the boys to desert us,” said Amy, some time later, as she got into her snug-fitting black bathing suit and pulled a rubber cap over her heavy hair. “There! how do I look?” she added, turning slowly around so that Jessie and Nell might admire the effect.
“Stunning. You always do,” answered Nell, as she laced up her bathing shoes. “But I am wondering how long that suit will last in the water.”
The girls had felt the lure24 of the cool waters of the lake as they had not felt it since their arrival. They wanted, as Amy said, “to swim and swim and keep on swimming.”
So now they ran down to the dock, debating whether to take out one of the canoes or to swim around near the dock.
“Might as well swim close to home,” said Nell, as she stood close to the edge of the dock, hands over her head in a diving posture25, and regarded her reflection in the water. “Then we’ll be on hand to keep a lookout26 for the boys.”
She leaned a bit too far out over the water and lost her balance. Jessie and Amy saw her fall forward suddenly and heard her give a little cry that was more of astonishment27 than fear. Then the water closed over her.
The two girls ran forward, laughing, for the water at this point was only four or five feet, and it was impossible for a swimmer like Nell to drown in that depth.
What they had not seen was this—that, as she went down, Nell struck her head upon the edge of the dock. They saw only that she had not come up.
“She must be swimming under water,” said Jessie, not yet seriously alarmed. “Run around to the other side of the dock, Amy.”
Amy obeyed, and still no sign of Nell. As she came running back she saw that Jessie was already poised28 for a dive. There was a splash. Jessie disappeared, then rose to the surface, shaking the water from her eyes.
“She—must be—under the dock!” she gasped29, and disappeared again.
“Under the dock!” thought Amy, a swift fear at her heart. She had heard of people swimming around and around under a dock, unable to find their way out, drowning because they could not come up for air. But this was such a little dock! Almost with the thought she also struck the water.
She came up for air and saw Jessie dragging something inert30. She caught one glimpse of a white face and turned sick with dread14.
Together they got Nell on the dock.
“She is dead!” sobbed31 Amy, as they worked over her feverishly. “No live person ever looked like that!”
“See that bruise32 on her forehead?” whispered Jessie. “Amy, I think, I believe, she was unconscious when she struck the water.”
The bruise was up close to her hair, swollen33 and turning black. It stood out startlingly in the pallor of her face.
Panic-stricken, Jessie was about to rush to the lodge for help and some stimulant34 from the medicine chest when Amy called to her.
“She moved! Oh, Jess, come here quick! There is color in her face.”
Jessie returned and sank quickly to her knees, taking Nell’s cold, inert hand in both her warm ones.
“Nell, Nell, open your eyes!” she begged. “Tell us you are all right!”
As if that urgent call could not be denied, Nell opened weary eyes and looked vaguely35 about her.
“What is the matter?” she asked faintly, sitting up and putting a hand to her head. “I fell—I can’t remember——”
“Don’t try, dear. It is all right now,” said Jessie, soothingly36, while the happy tears ran down her face.
“Just rest and don’t worry,” said Amy, surreptitiously wiping the tears from her own eyes. “You did give us a terrible scare, Nell.”
A sharp rumble37 of thunder broke the stillness of the forest, and the girls realized with a shock of surprise that the sun had gone under a cloud and the sky was overcast38.
Nell struggled slowly to get to her feet, the girls helping39 her. She was shivering, either with weakness or the sudden chill that had crept into the air. The wind had risen and was sighing ominously40 through the trees.
They supported Nell back toward the lodge, but before they reached the shelter of it the sudden storm increased in fury. The wind rose to a tempest, the lightning flashed vividly41, streaking42 in jagged rents across the sky. There came a crash of thunder that made them shiver with the impact of the noise upon their ears.
“Our radio!” cried Jessie, suddenly remembering. “We have no lightning arrester. Oh, girls, let’s hurry!”
They needed no urging. Even Nell, alive to the danger from the lightning, momentarily forgot her narrow escape from death.
They dashed into the lodge, pursued by the menacing roar of the elements. They slammed the door shut behind them and turned to confront Aunt Emma and the shuddering43 Phrosy.
“Fo’ de lan’s sakes, Ah is glad to see you young ladies back agin. Ah sho did t’ink dose storm debbils done carry yo’ off fo’ fair!” After delivering herself of this comment, poor Phrosy was sent off into the kitchen by the relentless44 Miss Alling, there to suffer in silence.
Jessie and Amy rushed to the radio set, while Nell sank into a chair, covering her eyes with her hand.
“What are you going to do?” asked Amy, as Jessie produced a pair of scissors.
“Cut the in-wire!” she said, and, a moment later, had suited the action to the word. The danger from lightning was past, for that time, at least.
“What is that?” cried Nell, starting nervously45 from her chair.
There came a terrific flash of lightning, a reverberating46 thunder clap, a crackling as though the forest were on fire, a thud and a slithering sound as of a heavy body striking the roof.
“De end of de world am come, it am fo’ sure!” shrieked47 Phrosy, dashing in upon them, her eyes rolling wildly. “Ah’m gwine away f’om here! Ain’t nobody gwine stop me! Ah’s gwine!”
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1
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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engulfing
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| adj.吞噬的v.吞没，包住( engulf的现在分词 ) | |
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8
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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vertigo
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| n.眩晕 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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feverishly
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| adv. 兴奋地 | |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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exertion
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| n.尽力，努力 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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inert
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| adj.无活动能力的，惰性的；迟钝的 | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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bruise
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| n.青肿，挫伤；伤痕；vt.打青；挫伤 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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stimulant
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| n.刺激物，兴奋剂 | |
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vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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42
streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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43
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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46
reverberating
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的现在分词 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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