CHAPTER XX.
THE RESCUE When Mrs.Elliott called to her husband and son, they could not hear her, but her cries were heard by a small group of half-a-dozen boys and girls, who were walking along the shore of the lake at some distance ahead of her.
Patty and Marian were in this group, and at the sound of her mother's frightened cry, Marian turned pale, and said, "Oh, Patty, something dreadful has happened; let us run to mother." But one of the boys said, "Look out on the lake! There's your little brother in a boat, all alone." "Oh," cried Marian, "he'll be upset! Where's papa?
Can any of you boys swim ?" "No," said two of the boys, and another said, "I can't either, but I'm going to try." "Don't do it," said Patty, who was already flinging off her shoes.

"I can swim, and I'll save the baby." She remembered how Nan jumped into the water with her ordinary clothes on that day at the Hurly-Burly, and so she ran into the lake, all dressed as she was, for there was no time to lose, and struck out for the boat.
She had taken but a few strokes, when she saw the child fall into the water, and heard Mrs.Elliott give a despairing shriek.
Patty gave one shout of "All right, Aunt Alice, I'll get him!" and then swam for dear life.

This was literally true, for she was determined to save the dear life of little Gilbert if she possibly could.
And she did, for as the baby rose to the surface, Patty was near enough to grasp him, and then managed to reach the overturned boat and by its support she easily kept herself and the child afloat.
"He's all right," she called to the crowd now gathering on the bank.

"I can hold him up; somebody come out after us in a boat." But two boats had already started, and in a few minutes Gilbert was lifted into one and Patty scrambled into the other, and they were quickly rowed ashore, and when they landed on the beach, Uncle Charlie, with the tears rolling down his cheeks, tried to embrace both Patty and Gilbert at once.
Aunt Alice couldn't speak, but the looks of love and gratitude she gave Patty said more than words could, and Patty felt that this was the happiest moment of her life.

And what a fuss the young people made over her! The boys praised her pluck, and the girls marveled at her skill.
But as Patty and Gilbert were both dripping wet, and it was already nightfall, the question was, what to do to keep them from taking cold.
"Build up the fire again," said grandma, "and we'll undress the baby, and wrap him all up in one of the carriage robes." "And there's another carriage robe for Patty," said Marian.
"I'll fix Patty," said Uncle Charlie, "haven't some of you girls a big blanket-shawl that won't be spoiled if it gets wet ?" Several shawls were eagerly offered, and Uncle Charlie selected two big warm ones and wrapped Patty, wet clothes and all, tightly in them, leaving only her face exposed, until she looked like a mummy, and was wound so tight she couldn't stand up without assistance.