“Friend?” said the girl, with a tender, grateful glance—­grateful that he had found the very word for the feeling that had brought her thither, and which had cost her so much already.

* * * * *

The sun was setting.  A youth and a girl walked down from the woods towards the river bank, talking together.

Then suddenly they awoke from their dreams, and looked at each other in dismay.  The river was a waste of water only, the banks deserted, the raft gone—­neither of them had thought of how they were to get back.

“What are we to do?” The mute question was in the eyes of both.

“You can’t get back along this bank?” said the young man at last.

“All through Vaha-Kohiseva village and over the bridge—­no.  And I ought to bring the calves home, too.”

“There’s no boat anywhere near?”

“No.”

A gleam of resolution shone in the young man’s eyes.

“Can you swim?” he asked suddenly, turning towards her.

“Swim?” she repeated in surprise.  Then her face lit up as she grasped his meaning.  “Yes, indeed!”

“And would you swim across with me if I carry your clothes?”

She trembled slightly—­it was a daring plan, yet there was a certain secret fascination in the thought.

“With you?  Yes!” she cried.

“Good.  You can undress here.  Then roll up all your clothes in your blouse, and tie it round with the sleeves.  I’ll go a little way off and get ready.  We’ll manage all right, you see.”

And he strode off with rapid steps.

But the girl flushed, and looked anxiously around, as if she had promised more than she could fulfil.  She glanced along the shore—­Olof was sitting a little distance away, with his back to her, already undressing.

“How childish I am!” she thought.  And stepping briskly down to the water’s edge, she began hastily taking off her clothes.

* * * * *

A splash in the water—­Olof was almost lost to sight in the reeds.  He took off his boots and hung them by one lace round his neck, then he fixed his bundle of clothes above, and tied it with the remaining lace.

“Ready?” he called over his shoulder, glancing down the stream.

Hurriedly the girl rolled her garments up in the blouse.  Her white body shivered—­in womanly embarrassment at her position, and with an ecstatic delight.  Then with a splash the white figure dipped beneath the water, swam up, and hid in the reeds.

Olof swam upstream, his eyes fixed on the heap of clothing, and a faint smile on his lips.  He took the bundle, tied his belt round it, and fastened it above his own.  The double load stood up high above his head.

“They’ll be all right now—­if I don’t make a mess of it,” he assured her.

With long, slow strokes he made for the opposite shore.  The girl stood motionless in the reeds, watching him as he swam.