Part 8 (2/2)
As the girls plowed toward the overturned boat, Bess gave a shout of alarm. She was behind the others, who turned quickly.
Nancy and George were horrified to see the force of the wind pus.h.i.+ng Bess rapidly toward the angry water! Unable to keep her balance, she fell in headlong, the churning water cras.h.i.+ng over her!
CHAPTER VII.
The Dungeon
IN a flash, Nancy and George splashed into the whipping water of Loch Lomond and went to Bess's a.s.sistance. She tried twice to get up, only to be knocked over again by a las.h.i.+ng wave.
Reaching her side, the two rescuers helped her stand up, though their own footing was precarious. Arm in arm, the three struggled to the beach.
Bess sank down. ”Th-thanks for saving me.”
”Do you want to go back to the car?” Nancy asked her. ”George and I can investigate the houseboat.”
”No, no,” Bess replied quickly. ”I'm all right. I want to help the poor people in there.”
Above the wind the girls could hear a child crying, ”Mama! Mama! Wake up!”
The three hurried forward and clambered onto the side of the overturned houseboat. There was no door but Nancy managed to open a window, and leaned down over the sill. She surveyed what was below her. Furniture and rugs lay scattered on the opposite wall, which now formed the floor of the houseboat. Stretched out was a woman and beside her knelt a little girl, sobbing.
The child looked up at Nancy. ”Did you come to wake my mama up?” she asked.
Nancy gazed at the tear-stained face. She fervently hoped that the little girl's mother was only unconscious.
”I'm coming, honey,” Nancy replied. Calling to her friends, she quickly described the scene below, then said, ”Give me a hand so I can drop gently.”
The cousins crawled over. Each held one of Nancy's hands as she eased her body downward.
”Okay. Let go!” she said.
Nancy hastened to the woman. After a quick examination she reported that the little girl's mother apparently had not suffered any broken bones. Probably she had struck her head when the boat tipped over.
”I'll put this table under the window,” Nancy said to Bess and George. ”Then you won't have so far to jump.” She righted the st.u.r.dy pine table and helped steady George when she dropped. Then both girls a.s.sisted Bess down.
The child was crying and trying to hide behind an upended overstuffed chair. Bess went to her at once. ”What's your name?”
”Isa Arden. Pl-please make my mama wake up!”
”We will,” Bess promised. ”Do come out and see me.”
The little girl's shyness vanished. She ran to Bess. ”Everything's upside down!” she wailed.
”It will be all right soon,” Bess a.s.sured her.
<script>