She got up at half-past lour in the morning. It was dawn, and the sky was full of silvery light. Soon it would change to gold and pink as the sun came up. ft would be a heavenly day!
She went quietly out. There wasn't a sound to be heard in the whole of the school. Amanda was soon standing by the pool, stripping off her clothes. She had on her swimming-costume underneath. She had a dip in the pool first - lovely! Her strong arms thrashed through the water, a nd her strong body revelled in it. She turned on her back for a few minutes and dreamed of the next year, when she would win the swimming at the Olympic Games. She pictured the crowds, she heard the roar of cheering and the sound of hundreds of people clapping.
It was a very pleasant picture. Amanda enjoyed it. Then she climbed out of the pool and made her way down to the edge of the rocks. The waves came pounding in there, although lurther out it was very calm. Amanda looked out to the brilliant blue sea and sky. She dived cleanly into a deep pool and swam through a channel there, and was suddenly out in the open sea.
At last! she thought, as her arms cleaved the water and her legs shot her steadily forward. At last I am really swimming again!
She went in the direction she had planned. The sun rose a little higher in the sky and shone down. It was going to be a hot day. Little sparkles came on the water,
and Amanda laughed lor joy. Splash, splash, splash - she swam on and on, pari of the sea itself.
Nobody had seen her go. She planned to be back before anyone came down for an early-morning swim. At the earliest that would be seven o'clock. She had plenty of time.
But someone came down before seven o'clock that morning. J une woke up early and could not get off to sleep again. The sun shone right on her face. She glanced at her clock. Six o'clock. Gosh - ages before the dressing- bell went. She sat up and pulled her dressing-gown towards her.
I'll go down and have a swim, she thought. A real swim in the pool, not just fooling about, like I've been doing since I had that row with Amanda. I'll see if I've remembered all her rules.
She went softly down the stairs and out into the sun¬drenched grounds. She was soon down by the pool, and went to find her swimming-costume, which she had left there to dry. She pulled it on. Then into the pool she went with a neat dive.
It was glorious there - and lovely to have it all to herself. Usually it was so crowded. June floated lazily. Then she began to swim. Yes - she had remembered everything that Amanda had taught her. She shot through the water at top speed, her lithe body as supple as a fish. Up and down she went, tip and down, till she was tired out.
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She climbed out to have a rest and sit in the sun. She decided to go down to the edge of the sea, and let the waves splash her as she sat on the rocks. So down she went, and found a high shelf of rock to sit on, where waves could just splash over her legs.
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She gazed idly out to sea. What a marvellous blue - a Kind of delphinium blue, June decided And then her ves suddenlv fastened on a little black bob. some wav
out to sea. Could it be a buoy, fastened there to show a hidden rock? June had never noticed it before.
Then she saw what looked like a white arm raised. She leaped to her feet. Goodness gracious - it was a swimmer! Out there, caught by the current, someone was swimming desperately to prevent themselves being forced on to the rocks some way along.
June stood still, her heart suddenly beating fast. She watched intently. It was a swimmer, though she couldn't make out whether it was a man or a woman. Did he or she know the current had caught him, and was dragging him to the rocks, where waves were pounding high?
Yes. Amanda knew. Amanda felt the strong, swift current beneath her. How could she ever have laughed at it? It was stronger than ten swimmers, than twenty swimmers! It pulled at her relentlessly, and no matter how she swam against ii, it swept her in the opposite direction.
Amanda was very tired. Her great strength had been used for a long time now against the treacherous current of water. She saw with panic that she was being taken nearer and nearer to the rocks she had been warned against. She would have no chance if one of those great waves took her and flung her on them - she would be shattered at once!
June saw that the swimmer was trying to swim against the current. She knew it was hopeless. What could she do? Had she time to run back to school, warn someone and get them to telephone for help? No, she hadn't.
There's only one thing to do. thought June. Just one chance! The boat! If I can get to the boat-house in time, drag out the boat, and cut the swimmer off before he gets on the rocks, I might save him. Just a chance!
She tore off to the little boat-house in her swimming- costume. It was some way along the shore, in a place free i ?! rocks and pounding waves. June found the key,
unlocked the door and tried to drag out one of the little boats the girls sometimes used, when old Tom the boatman could be persuaded to take them for a row.
Even this little boat was heavy. June tugged at it and pushed - and at last it reached the water, and took off on a wave. June sprang in and caught up the oars. She began to row at top speed, but soon had to slacken, because she was so out of breath. She glanced round to spot the swimmer.
There he was - no, it must be a she, because it had longish hair, wet and draggled. What an idiot! June pulled strongly at the oars, horrified to see that the swimmer was being swept very near the rocks now.
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The sea was calm, fortunately, so the waves that pounded the rocks were not so tremendous as usual. June yelled to the swimmer.
'AHOY THERE! AHOY!'
The swimmer didn't hear. Amanda was almost spent. Her arms were now hardly moving. She could fight against the current no longer.
'AHOY!' yelled June again. This time Amanda heard. She turned her head. A boat! Oh, what a blessed, beautiful sight! But could she possibly get to it, or it to her, in time?
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The boat came on. A wave suddenly took Amanda strongly in its grasp, swelled up and flung her forward. A hidden rock struck her leg, and she cried out in agony.
Gosh - she's almost on the rocks, thought June, in a panic. She rowed wildly, and at last reached the swimmer, who was now allowing herself to float, unable to swim a stroke.
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June reached out to her over the side of the boat. It's manda! she realized, with a shock of amazement. Well, ■-)o would have thought she'd be such an idiot?
Miraculously the swell subsided for a minute or two, md June pulled at Amanda. 'Come on - help uurseU
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up!' she shouted. 'Buck up!'
How Amanda ever got into the boat she didn't know. Neither did June. It seemed impossible, for Amanda had a badly hurt leg and arm. But somehow it was done, and at last she lay in the bottom of the boat, exhausted, trembling, and In pain. She muttered thanks, but beyond that could not utter a word.
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June found that she now had to pull against the current. She was tired already and soon realized it was impossible. But help was not far otf. Some early- morning swimmers in the pool had spotted the boat, and one bright fourth-former had fetched a pair of binoculars. As soon as it was seen that the boat was in difficulties, old Tom was sent for - and now here was his small outboard motor-boat chugging along to rescue the two exhausted girls!
They were soon on shore Matron had been fetched, as soon as June had been recognized through the glasses. No one had spotted Amanda at first, as she was in the bottom of the boat. The girls crowded round, and cried out in horror.
'Oh, look at Amanda's leg and her poor arm! Oh, isn't it terrible!'
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Again the news flew round the school like wildfire! Amanda went swimming out to sea and got caught in .lie current! June went down to swim in the pool and saw her. She got the little boat and rescued her - but manda's badly hurt.'
'Fancy June rescuing her bitter enemy!' said the iower-formers. 'Good old June! She's collapsed, Matron says. They are both in the san.'
June soon iecovered. She had been completely exhausted, and that and the panic she had felt had knocked her out for a few hours. Then she suddenly sat up and announced that she felt quite all right, could she get up, please?
Not yet,' said Matron. 'Lie down. I don't want to speak severely to such a brilliant life-saver, but I might, if ou don't do what you're told! You certainly saved Amanda's life.'
'How is Amanda?' asked June, shivering as she | remembered Amanda's terrible leg and arm - bruised and swollen and cut.
'She's not too good,' said Matron. 'Her arm isn't so | bad - but the muscles of the leg have been terribly torn. On a rock,. I suppose.'
June lay silent. 'Matron - will it - will this mean Amanda can't swim or play games any more this term?'
'It may mean more than that,' said Matron. 'It may mean the end of all swimming and games for her - unless 1 b>>se muscles do their job and heal up marvellously.'
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'Bui - Amanda was going in for the Olympic Games next year,' said June. 'She was good enough, too, Matron.'
'1 know all that/ said Matron. 'It's a bad thing this, J u n e. W hen a person has bee n given st rengt h a n d health and a wonderful gift for games, and throws it all away for an hour's forbidden pleasure, it's a tragedy. What that poor girl is thinking of, lying there, I don't like to imagine.'
June didn't like to imagine it, either. How terrible for Amanda! And to think she had brought it on herself too - that must be even more terrible.
'Can I go and see Amanda?' she asked Matron, suddenly.
'Not today,' said Matron. 'And let me tell you this, June - I know about your clash with Amanda, and 1 don't care who's right or who's wrong. That girl will want a bit of help and sympathy, so don't you go and see her if you can't be generous enough to give her a bit. You saved her life - that's a great thing. Now you can do a little thing, and make it up with her.'
'I'm going to,' said June. 'You're an awful preacher, Matron. I can't imagine why I like you.'
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'The feeling is mutual!' said Matron. 'Now, will you please lie down properly?'
June found herself a heroine when she at last got up and went back to school! There were cheers as she came rather awkwardly into the common-room, suddenly leeling unaccountably shy. Susan clapped her on the back, Felicity pumped her right arm up and down, Nora pumped her left.
'Good old June!' chanted the giris. 'Good - old - JUNE!'
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'Do shut up/ said June. 'What's the news? I feel as if I've been away for ages. Flayed any tricks up in the sixth form yet?'
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of nothing else hut you and Amanda!' said Felicity. 'We haven't once thought of tricks. But we ought to now - just to celebrate your bravery!'
T wish you wouldn't be an ass/ said June. 'I happened to be there, and saw Amanda in difficulties, that's all. It might have been anyone else.'
But the second-formers would not hide their pride in June. Alicia was pleased and proud too. She came down to clap her small cousin on the back.
'Good work, June,' she said. 'But - it's jolly bad luck on Amanda, isn't it? Out of all games for the rest of the term - and maybe no chance for the Olympic Games next year either.'
No one said, or even thought, that it served Amanda right for her conceit, and tor her continual boasting of her prowess. Not even the lower-formers said it, though none ol them had liked Amanda. Her misfortune roused their pity. Perhaps the only person in the school who came nearest to thinking that it served Amanda right was the French girl, Suzanne, who had detested Amanda for her brusque ways, and for her contempt of Suzanne herself.
But then Suzanne could not possibly understand why Amanda had gone for that long swim, nor could she understand the bitter disappointment of being out of all games tor so long.
June was as good as her word. She went to see Amanda as soon as she was allowed to, taking with her a big box ot crystallized ginger.
'Hallo, Amanda,' she said, 'how's things?'
'Hallo, June,' said Amanda, who looked pale and exhausted still. 'Oh, I say - thanks for the ginger/
Matron went out of the room. Amanda turned to June quickly. 'June - I'm not much good at thanking people - but thanks for all you did. I'll never forget it.'
'Now I'll say something/ said June. 'And I'll say it for ! he two of us and then we won't mention it again. We
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were both idiots over the coaching, both of us. 1 wish the row hadn't happened, but it did. It was fifty-fifty, really. Let's forget it.'
'You might have been in both the second teams,' said Amanda, regretfully.
T'rn going to be!' said June. J mean to be! I'm going to practise like anything again - and will you believe it, Moira's offered to time me at swimming each day, and stand and serve me balls at tennis each afternoon!'
Amanda brightened at once. 'That's good,' she said. 'June - I shan't mind things quite so much - being out of everything, 1 mean - if you will get into the second teams. I shan't feel I'm completely wasted then.'
'Right,' said June. 'I'll do my best.'
'And there's another thing,' said Amanda. 'I'm going to spend my time coaching the lower-formers when I'm allowed up. I am to have my leg in plaster and then I can hobble about. I shan't be able to play games myself, but I shall at least be able to see that others play them well.'
'Right,' said June again. 'I'll pick out a few winners for you, Amanda, so that they'll be ready for you when you get up!'
'Time to go, June,' said Matron, bustling in again. 'You'll tire Amanda with all your gabble. But, dear me - she looks much brighter! You'd better come again, June.'
'I'm going to,' said June, departing with a grin. 'Don't eat all Amanda's ginger, Matron. I know your little ways!'
'Well, of all the cheeky young scamps!' said Matron, laughing. But June bad gone.
Matron was pleased to see Amanda looking so much brighter. 'June's just like Alicia, that wicked cousin of hers,' she said. 'Yes, and Alicia is just like her mother. T had her mother here, too, when she was a girl. Dear, dear, I must be getting old. The tricks Alicia's mother used to play too. It's a wonder my hair isn't snow-white!'
She left Amanda for an afternoon sleep. But Amanda
didn't sieep. She lay thinking. What long long thoughts come to those in bed, ill and in pain! Amanda sorted a lot ol things out, during the time she was ill.
Nobody pointed out to her that pride always comes before a [all, but she pointed it out a hundred times to herself. Nobody pointed out that when you had fallen, what really mattered was not the fall, but the getting up again and going on. Amanda meant to get up again and go on. She meant to make up lor many many things.
And if my leg muscles never get strong enough for me to play games really well again, I shan't moan and groan, she thought. After all, it's courage that matters, not the things that happen to you. It doesn't really matter what happens, so long as you've got plenty of pluck to face it. courage. Pluck. Well, I have got those. I'll be a games- mistress if f can't go in for games myself. I like coaching and I'm good at it. It will be second-best but I'm lucky to have a second-best.
And so, when she got up and hobbled
around, Amanda was welcomed everywhere by the lower- lormers, all anxious to shine in her eyes, and to show her that they were sorry for her having to limp about. manda marvelled at their short memories. They've iorgotten already that I never bothered to help anyone hut June, she thought. She gave all her extra time to the eager youngsters, the time that normally she would have had for playing games herself, if it hadn't been for her leg.
'She's really a born games teacher!' the games- mistress said to Miss Peters. 'And now she's taken June on again, and June is so remarkably docile, that kid will be in the second teams in no time!'
So she was, of course, unanimously voted there by -Moira, Sally and Darrell. Amanda felt a prick of pride - but a different kind of pride from the kind she bad felt .lore. This time it was a pride in someone else, not
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The next thing that happened was a good deal pleasanter. The Higher Certitieate girls had sat for their exam and at last had got it behind them. They had gone about looking harassed and pale, but made a miraculous recovery immediately the last exam was over,
'And now/ said Alicia, T feel I want a bit of relaxation. I want to be silly and laugh till my sides crack! What wouldn't I give to be a second-former just now, and play a few mad tricks on somebody.'
And then the tricks had happened. They were, of course, planned by the irrepressible second-formers, particularly June and Felicity, who had both been sorry ior Darrell and Alicia during their hard exam week.
These two had put their heads together, and had produced a series of exceedingly well-planned tricks. They iold the other second-formers, who giggled helplessly.