them. Fortunately for the Meadow-Brook Girls, the top had been removed
from the car, else all would have been drowned before they could have
extricated themselves. Jane had the most difficulty in getting out.
She was held to her seat by the steering wheel for a few seconds, but
not so much as a thought of fear entered her mind. Crazy Jane went to
work methodically to free herself, which she succeeded in doing a few
seconds after her companions had reached the surface.

"Thave me, oh, thave me!" wailed Tommy Thompson chokingly.

There followed a great splashing, accompanied by shouts and choking
coughs. About this time Jane McCarthy's head appeared above the water.
She took a long, gasping breath, then called out:

"Here we are, darlin's! Is anybody wet?"

"Girls, are you all here?" cried Miss Elting anxiously. "Call your
names."

They did so, and there was relief in every heart when it was found
that not a girl was missing. But they had yet to learn how they
happened to be in the water. The latter was cold as ice, it seemed to
them, and their desire now was to get to shore as quickly as possible.
Which way the shore lay they did not know, but from the looks of the
sky-line it was apparent that they would not be obliged to go far in
either direction to find a landing place.

"Follow me, girls," directed the guardian. "We will get out of here
and talk about our disaster afterward. Harriet, please bring up the
rear. Be sure that no one is left behind."