The Girl Scouts at Sea Crest Part 13

"But he may be on sh.o.r.e leave," added Julia, "then he wouldn't be any more attractive than our 'you-bet-chu' chap," she said, indicating the young man who inserted that boyish expression so often in his conversation.

The children were leaving the ballroom when the scouts took their final drink of pink lemonade, as Grace insisted on calling the fruit punch, and as they came out to the porch for their "good-nights," mothers and nurses were gathering the fluttering little ones to their arms.

They were about to leave when a shrill voice from the hall startled every one, "Oh, come quick, a doctor! My baby is choking!"

A mother uttered the cry. In an instant every one was in confusion looking for a doctor, but it so happened in all that big hotel at the moment no physician could be found.

"What shall I do!" wailed the mother, now wringing her hands and begging for help. "I don't know how--to save--my darling!"

Quick as a flash Julia broke away through the crowd and, followed by Louise and Helen, she made her way to the room of the distracted parent and the suffering child.

On the bed lay the little child, gasping, choking, his face almost purple. No one had attempted to do anything but look on in horror, as people usually do under such exciting conditions.

Julia, however, summoned all her courage and her scout training, and grabbing the little one before she had a chance to suffer from hesitation, she held his little heels high as she could stretch them, and shook him vigorously, while the distracted mother looked on in consternation. When the Girl Scout's strength failed, and she allowed the child to sink down on the bed again, the safety pin, he had almost swallowed, lay beside him on the coverlet.

It was all over in so few minutes that Louise and Helen merely looked on to encourage Julia.

"Oh, my darling, my darling!" wailed the excited mother. "Are you alive?

Does he breathe?"

"He will be all right directly," said Helen, surprising herself with her own calmness. "Just give him plenty of air."

By now those who had a.s.sembled in idle curiosity had dispersed, leaving room for the other scouts to come within sight of the open door.

Quickly as the chubby youngster recovered his breath he made a grab at the neck tie that floated from Julia's blouse. Then he wanted to play with the b.u.t.tons on her skirt, and he evinced such other evidence of good fellowship that every one stood by in silent admiration.

The mother, however, had recovered her composure sufficiently to thank Julia; and this she did most profusely.

"What would I have done?" she asked. "I simply went to pieces, in a perfect panic, when I saw that boy choke. Oh, here is Neal," turning to greet a young man who just entered the room. "Neal, do come and meet these wonderful little girls. They saved the baby brother. In another moment, I am sure, he would have strangled."

And before them stood one of the young men who had entertained them unawares on the West porch, an hour earlier. He added his thanks to those of his mother, while the baby brother kicked delightedly on the badly tossed bed.

"And you knew more about it than mother," he remarked, a note of incredulity in his voice. "But I see you are scouts. They teach you emergency stunts in your organization, I suppose."

"Yes," replied Julia covered with confusion and anxious to escape; and escape she did directly the good-looking Neal stepped aside, and bowed the girls graciously into the corridor.

"I almost choked myself," admitted Louise.

"I will do so yet," declared Helen.

CHAPTER XII

ON THE SANDS

"AS a quiet evening it was a cyclone," said Julia to her congratulating companions. "I really was not sure whether I should shake both the heels at once, or in rapid succession, but when I saw that safety pin--oh, girls!" and she pretended to slink down into the supporting arms offered her.

"Whether premeditated or a mere accident you did n.o.bly," declared Margaret, "and I shouldn't wonder if handsome young Neal wouldn't want to join our troop. Isn't he stunning looking?"

"But he is the friend of marine Richard--he who is coming in on the millionaire's yacht," put in Grace. "Therefore Julia, you and I shall divide the honors. Joking aside girls, what is our program for the morrow?"

"Bathing, of course--high tide at ten-thirty," announced Julia.

"After that we will pay a call at Captain Dave's Life Saving Station,"

said Cleo. "In fact we can run over there from the beach. We have simply got to find out all he knows about Luna Island."

They were on their way home from the Colonade, and as it was still early, the streets were populated with summer visitors just leaving the pavilions, the boardwalks, picture theaters, or hotels. Each scout leaving the group left one less to the usual "last tag" game, which again became of interest to the young girls, not yet too dignified to enjoy such pleasure romps.

Next morning at the beach a number of new arrivals were added to the list of their companions, as each day now brought its own quota of visitors to the popular summer resort, and it was surely "the more the merrier."

"Good swimming in the cove," announced Cleo, "at least we call it the cove, but it's really a little lake, made smooth by the banked up sand bar. Come on everybody, up to Third Avenue."

Surf boards added to the sport, and while every morning was a holiday at the beach, to-day seemed something of legal type; such a wonderfully merry time the colonists were enjoying. All the scouts were swimmers; Grace as usual was daring to the point of risk, Cleo quickly followed every prank she initiated, and the others found plenty of fun either attempting to follow, or originating their own brand of frolic.

What is more alluring than the ocean on the right sort of summer day?

Beyond the bar steamers could just be seen emitting their long, smoky ribbons over the water, that from the distance seemed so close to the sky as to be merely a first floor with that blue mottled ceiling. A few daring swimmers would work their way out in canoes, taking the rollers at constant risk of submersion, then come sailing in like a shot, never making a break in the dash until past the bathers, and out on the very beach each little bark would triumphantly land. This was great sport, but few girls were brave enough to indulge in it.

The life savers, two stalwart youths, so bronzed as to glisten in the sun like copper models--sat on the high bench under the big beach sunshade. They could see above the heads of the crowds, far out past the danger line, and theirs was the responsibility of keeping track of every foolish boy, or more foolish girl, who ventured beyond the ropes.

At last the scouts did get together, and made a run through the wet sand, along the edge toward the fishing pier, and from there it was only a matter of crossing the street to reach the life saving station.

In a trot, popular as exercise after bathing, all four girls, Louise, Grace, Cleo and Julia started off. The far end of the bathing beach was now deserted, the hour approaching lunch or dinner always exacting the dressing process, hotel guests especially, being obliged to report in the dining-room on time.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," begged Cleo. "I thought I saw a piece of pink coral."

"Pink coral doesn't grow around here," protested Grace. "You likely saw a blushing fish bone. Don't bother with it. You know how we made out with the pink crabs."

"Yes," put in Julia. "Let's change our color scheme. Here's a lovely amethyst sh.e.l.l."

The trot was started up again, heads erect, shoulders back, and elbows in--regular marathon for the beach on this perfect summer's day.

"Look here!" called Cleo. "Here's another message about--fire-bugs. See it spells: 'L-O-O-K O-U-T'" she figured it out in the sand. "There, would you ever think one would be so daring?"

They all paused to read the letters so crudely forked in the wet sand.

"Yes," insisted Julia. "There's 'bug.' Guess they didn't dare write the word 'fire'."

A lone figure on a lone bench up near the boardwalk attracted their attention at the same moment.

"If there isn't our boy!" exclaimed Louise. "Now, doesn't that almost prove him guilty?"

"No, it doesn't," objected his champion, Grace. "He's too far away--besides----"

"Any one could make letters in the sand," put in Julia. "Think of the hundreds of children who played here all morning. Come on," and she started the race again.