"Fool!" exclaimed Miss Panney, who, with flushed face, was hurrying after
the rest, "why didn't he take it with him?"
When the bathing master reached a point opposite the imperilled
swimmers, he was obliged to wait a little for the life-line, but as soon
as it reached him he tied one end of it around his waist and plunged into
the surf. The men who had brought the line did not uncoil it nor even
take it out of the box, and very soon it was seen that the bathing-master
was not only making his way bravely through the breakers, but was towing
after him the coil of rope, and the box in which it had been entangled.
As soon as he perceived this, the man stopped for an instant, jerked the
line from his waist and swam away without it.
Meanwhile a party of men had seized the life-boat, and had pushed it over
the sand to the water's edge, where they launched it, and with much
difficulty kept it from grounding until four young men, all bathers,
jumped in and manned the oars. But before the excited oarsmen had begun
to pull together, an incoming wave caught the bow of the boat, turned it
broadside to the sea, and rolled it over.
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