"That was pretty risky," said Russ. "But you two had better be getting back to the farmhouse now, and into some dry things."
"Indeed, yes," agreed Alice. "I'm sure I must look like a fright. Papa will be so worried, and Ruth, too. I wish I could slip in the back way so they wouldn't see me until I had time to change."
"I'll manage it," spoke Russ. "I'll go on ahead, and if any of our folks are in the back I'll bring them around to the front and hold them there while you slip in. I guess, Paul, you don't care to be seen in that rig; do you?"
"I should say not! That water was certainly wet!"
He had taken off his coat and was wringing it out, while Alice managed to get some of the water from the lower part of her skirts.
"Then you aren't going to swim back?" asked Russ.
"I should say not!" exclaimed Paul, with energy. "Isn't there a bridge somewhere around here, where we can cross?"
"About half a mile down," answered Russ, "I came that way."
"Are you sure you're all right, and able to walk, Alice?" Paul inquired, anxiously. "If not, I could go for a carriage. That is, if you will wait."
"Of course I can walk," she answered, promptly, as she tried to arrange her hair in some sort of order.
"Don't worry about that," said Paul, quickly. "It looks nicer that way."
"As if I would believe that!" she challenged. "Well, if we're going, let's go. Don't forget, Russ, what you promised about getting us in the rear entrance. I wouldn't have Miss Pennington and Miss Dixon see me this way for anything--I'd never hear the last of it!"
"Does your head hurt?" asked Paul, coming closer to examine the spot where the floating log had hit Alice.
"Just a little," she admitted. "It's lucky, though, that my hair is so thick."
They set off, Paul and Alice following Russ, who went on ahead with his moving picture camera.
"I certainly have a fine film," he said, "but I don't believe I would have taken it if I had known it was the real thing in the way of a rescue. I'd have jumped in and given a hand myself."
"It was very good of you, Paul," murmured Alice, but when he looked into her eyes she turned her own gaze away.
"I--I wouldn't have missed the opportunity of saving you for--for anything," he said, softly.