Monitress Merle | Page 3

say!" replied the aggrieved voice of Mavis,
who was in front and had first view of the scene beneath. "The place is
an absolute 'seaside resort.' Never saw so many people in my life before!
Where do they all come from?"
The little cove, their cove, which in June had been so delightfully
secluded and retired, was undoubtedly invaded by quite a number of
visitors. Children were paddling or scampering along the sands, wet
heads were bobbing in and out of the water, every rocky crevice was in
use as a dressing-room, picnic parties were taking tea on the rocks, and
a circle of boys and girls were playing a noisy game at the brink of the
waves. Very ruefully Mavis and Merle descended to swell the throng. It
was not at all the sort of bathe which they had anticipated, and, had
there been another available spot within reach, they would have utterly
disdained it.
"Shall we go on to Yellow Head?" ventured Merle hesitatingly.

"There isn't time. The tide would be out before we got there, and it's a
perfect tangle of oar-weed unless the water's high. Never mind! There'll
be elbow-room in the sea at any rate. There's a corner here where we
can undress. Come along! O-o-h! There's some one else inside!"
[Illustration: "WE'RE JUST READY! YOU CAN COME IN IF YOU
LIKE!"]
"We're just ready! You can come in if you like!" proclaimed a voice, as
two girls in navy bathing costumes and rubber caps issued from behind
a rock, and running swiftly down the sand plunged into the water.
Availing themselves of the opportunity Mavis and Merle took
temporary possession of the naiads' dressing-room, and in the course of
a few minutes more were revelling in a swim. The red rubber caps of
the girls who preceded them were plainly to be seen some distance
from the shore, where their owners were apparently having a race
towards a rock that jutted from the waves.
"Oh, they mustn't go out there! There's an awful current! Bevis warned
us about it!" gasped Mavis, swimming securely with one foot on the
ground. "Can't we stop them? Shout, Merle!"
"Hello, there! Ahoy! Come back!" yelled Merle, who possessed
stronger lungs than her sister. "They don't hear me! Coo-oo-ee! That's
done it, thank goodness!
Come--back--you're--going--to--get--into--a--current!"
The two red caps, warned in time of their danger, turned and swam into
safer waters. They did not venture so far again from the shore, but
frolicked with some companions, trying to make wheels and to perform
various other feats of agility, which were generally failures and ended
in a splash. They were so long about it that Mavis and Merle went from
the water first and had time to dress quite leisurely before the others,
shaking out wet fair hair, followed to the crevice among the rocks.
The Ramsays took their picnic basket, and, climbing a short way up the
steps, settled themselves upon a grassy platform which afforded a good

view of the cove below. They liked this vantage-ground better than the
sands, and began to spread out the cups and saucers and parcels of
cakes which Jessop had packed for them, congratulating themselves
upon having a spot at least fairly apart. But they were not destined to
spend that afternoon in solitary state. They had scarcely opened their
basket when three heads came bobbing up the steps, shamelessly
invaded their platform, and also began to unpack tea-cups.
Merle, who did not like other people to trespass upon her rights,
frowned and turned her back upon them, and probably each little party
would have taken its meal separately had not an unforeseen and utterly
untoward accident happened. Mavis knocked their thermos flask with
her elbow and sent it spinning over the cliff. Here was a pretty business!
Their tea was gone, and the flask, if they found it, would be utterly
smashed.
"It's not worth climbing down to pick it up!" lamented Mavis contritely.
"I'm so sorry, Merle! It was horribly clumsy of me!"
"Do have some of ours!" suggested one of the strangers
sympathetically. "We've heaps! Two flasks; and that's more than we
shall drink ourselves. You might just as well!"
"I say, it was awfully decent of you to call to us not to go on to those
rocks!" put in another. "We didn't know about the current."
The third girl made no remark, but she smiled invitingly and held out
one of their flasks.
So it came about that Mavis and Merle moved nearer and joined the
others, so that they formed one party. For a few minutes they sat in
polite silence, taking in the items of their neighbours' appearance.
When the Ramsays compared notes afterwards they decided that they
had never before seen three such pretty girls. The