Hero jumped into the boat, and, crouching at Katherine’s feet, fawned upon her with great affection and delight.

“Oh, yes, you are very glad to see me, I have no doubt, but really you are a fearful fraud to bring me away from my work on a busy day like this, by pretending you cannot swim, when it is plain you have been in the water, for you are dripping with wet!” Katherine said, seeing the water which ran from the dog’s thick coat as it sat in the boat thumping a grateful tail in thanksgiving.  Then she noticed that the dog had something tied round its neck which looked like a silk waist-belt, and that a handkerchief was knotted to the belt.

“Something is wrong!” she muttered to herself; then, reaching the other side, she moored her boat and proceeded to investigate the message wrapped About the dog’s neck.

A scrap of paper with writing upon it was crumpled up in the handkerchief, and spreading this out she read: 

“Please come and help me, for I have had a tumble
down a steep rock and twisted my foot.  I can’t walk,
and I am on a ledge deep down a gulch near the sea,
on the rocks beyond the fish-flakes. 

          
                                                    Mary Selincourt.”

“Deep down in a gulch near the sea,” quoth Katherine to herself with a puzzled frown; then she jumped up with a cry.  “I know where it is; that gulch is one of the tideholes, and she will be drowned if I don’t make haste!”

Out of the boat she bounded, and rushed up the slope to the store.  Springing over the confusion of canisters and boxes, she hurried into the house, where Mrs. Burton was sitting at work making new frocks for the twins.

“Nellie, will you look after the store for an hour?  I should lock the door if I were you, and refuse to serve anyone who comes, for it is confusion thrice confounded in there, and I don’t think you would be able to find things if you tried.”

“What is the matter, dear?” asked Mrs. Burton, looking up and seeing how frightened her sister seemed.

“Hero has just come home, and I have found tied to his neck a note from Mary, saying that she has sprained her ankle and is lying in one of the tide-holes beyond the fish-flakes.  I must hurry down to Seal Cove as hard as I can row, for the tide is coming in now, and she may be in danger.”

“Are there none of the portage men who could go with you to help you?” asked Mrs. Burton.

“I may find one at Seal Cove, but there are none here.  One went down river early with Mary, the other rowed Mr. Selincourt down an hour or more ago.  I will be back as soon as I can, dear; or it may be that Miles and Phil will get in first:  but keep the store locked until someone comes.”

“Indeed I will; trust me for that!” said Mrs. Burton, dropping her work and following Katherine to the door to see her start.