“I smell water,” she cried.

“Tho do I,” lisped Tommy.  “But I don’t want a drink.”

Jane began to slow down as soon as the new sound had been heard.  The car was rolling along slowly.  For some unaccountable reason the driver put on a little more speed.  Then came Jane McCarthy’s voice, in a quick, warning shout: 

“Here’s trouble.  Jump, girls!  Jump!  We’re going in!”

They did not know what it was that they were going into, but not a girl of them obeyed Jane’s command.  Margery half-arose from the seat.  Hazel pulled her back.

“Sit still, girls!” commanded Miss Elting.  “Stop the car, Jane!”

The driver shut off and applied the brake.  But she was too late.  The automobile kept on going.  The roadway underneath it seemed to be dropping away from them; for a few seconds they experienced the sensation of riding on thin air; then the car lurched heavily forward, and, with a mighty splash, plunged into water.  A great sheet of solid water leaped up and enveloped them.

“Everyone for herself!” cried Harriet Burrell.  “Jump, girls!”

This time they did essay to jump.  Before they could do so, however, they were struggling to free themselves from the sinking car, the water already over their heads.

CHAPTER II

WHAT CAME OF A COLD PLUNGE

Five girls and their guardian struggled free from the sinking motor car and began paddling for the surface.  All knowing how to swim, they instinctively held their breath when they felt the water closing over them.  Fortunately for the Meadow-Brook Girls, the top had been removed from the car, else all would have been drowned before they could have extricated themselves.  Jane had the most difficulty in getting out.  She was held to her seat by the steering wheel for a few seconds, but not so much as a thought of fear entered her mind.  Crazy Jane went to work methodically to free herself, which she succeeded in doing a few seconds after her companions had reached the surface.

“Thave me, oh, thave me!” wailed Tommy Thompson chokingly.

There followed a great splashing, accompanied by shouts and choking coughs.  About this time Jane McCarthy’s head appeared above the water.  She took a long, gasping breath, then called out: 

“Here we are, darlin’s!  Is anybody wet?”

“Girls, are you all here?” cried Miss Elting anxiously.  “Call your names.”

They did so, and there was relief in every heart when it was found that not a girl was missing.  But they had yet to learn how they happened to be in the water.  The latter was cold as ice, it seemed to them, and their desire now was to get to shore as quickly as possible.  Which way the shore lay they did not know, but from the looks of the sky-line it was apparent that they would not be obliged to go far in either direction to find a landing place.