Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/372

352 But Julia’s reflections were now interrupted by a scream.

“Julia! Julia!” she thought she heard Brenda’s voice call, although Brenda herself was not in sight. Then her eye rested on a rock that was the farthest out at sea of the  rocks, where she and Brenda, and Fritz and Amy and  many other of the people near Rockley were accustomed to  sit. These rocks showed a steep, high surface to the ocean, and at low tide the side toward the sea was covered with  seaweed. There was one of these rocks which was wholly covered at high tide, and at low tide only the top of it was  to be seen. The space between it and the others was too deep for wading, even at low tide. Indeed, there was deep water all around it. Julia had been warned by her uncle and Brenda not to go near it, as a current on one side  made this a perilous spot even for a good swimmer.

“There’s no danger of my ever going out there,” said Julia. “That’s one of the advantages of being a poor swimmer. I’m not likely to take any risks.” Remembering her uncle’s caution, great, therefore, was Julia’s surprise, this September afternoon, on looking toward the rock, in the direction of Brenda’s voice, to see her apparently lying on the surface of the water, with one hand  resting against the stone surface.

But where was Frances?

In an instant Julia realized that this was not a time for questions. She must do something at once—but what?

Even as she was pondering what to do, she was floating a little nearer her cousin. “The board, oh, Julia, the board!” She seemed to hear Brenda cry, and she pushed