"I wouldn't bother with those great heavy oars, if I were you; just let them lie in the bottom of the boat, while you sit still and rest, and the wind will carry it to the land." "All right!" Enna answered, laying them down.

"Now you hurry up." "I will," Elsie said, starting upon a run for the spot where she thought that the boat would be most likely to reach the shore.
She reached it first, and the boat being still several yards away floating upon very deep water, she watched it a moment anxiously.
Enna was sitting still in the bottom, hugging the doll to her bosom and singing a lullaby to it; but suddenly as Elsie stood waiting and watching in trembling suspense, she sprang up, tossed the doll from her, leaped over the side of the boat, and disappeared beneath the water.
Elsie tore off her sash, tied a pebble to one end, and as Enna rose to the surface, spluttering and struggling, threw it to her crying, "Catch hold and I will try to pull you out." "Oh, don't! you will but sacrifice your own life!" cried a manly voice, in tones of almost agonized entreaty, and Lester Leland came dashing down the bank.
It was too late; Enna seized the ribbon with a jerk that threw Elsie also into the water, and they were struggling there together, both in imminent danger of drowning.
It was but an instant before Lester was there also; death with Elsie would be far preferable to life without her, and he would save or perish with her.
It was near being the last; would have been had not Bruno come to his aid, but with the good help of the faithful dog, he at length succeeded in rescuing both ladies, dragging them up the bank and laying them on the grass, both in a state of insensibility.
"Go to the house, Bruno, go and bring help," he said pantingly, for he was well-nigh overcome by his exertions, and the dog bounded away in the direction of the house.
"Lord, grant it may come speedily," ejaculated the young man, kneeling beside the apparently lifeless form of her he loved so well.

"Oh, my darling, have those sweet eyes closed forever ?" he cried in anguish, wiping the water from her face, and chafing her cold hands in his.

"Elsie my love, my life, my all! oh! I would have died to save you!" Enna had been missed almost immediately, and Calhoun, Arthur and several servants at once set out in different directions in search of her.
Arthur and Pomp got upon the right scent, followed her to Ion, and joined by Mr.Travilla, soon traced her through the garden and shrubbery down to the lake, coming upon the scene of the catastrophe, or rather of the rescue, but a moment after Bruno left.
"Why, what is this ?" exclaimed Mr.Travilla in alarm, "is it Elsie?
can she have been in the water?
Oh, my child, my darling!" Instantly he was down upon the grass by her side, assisting Lester's efforts to restore her to consciousness.
For a moment she engrossed the attention of all, to the utter exclusion from their thoughts of poor Enna, for whom none of them entertained any great amount of affection.
"She lives! her heart beats! she will soon recover!" Arthur said presently, "see, a faint color is coming into her cheek.

Run, Pomp, bring blankets and more help; they must be carried at once to the house." He turned to his aunt, leaving Mr.Travilla and Lester to attend to Elsie.
Enna seemed gone; he could not be sure that life was not extinct.