Part 64 (1/2)
”See what?”
”My clothes. They're floating down the river.”
Bob uttered a low chuckling laugh, and trotted along by the edge of the river; but it was too dark for him to see anything, and Dexter, forgetting cold and dread, swam bravely on, looking well to right and left, without avail, till all at once, just in one of the deepest eddies, some fifty yards down below the doctor's house, and where an unusually large willow spread its arms over the stream, he caught sight of something which blotted out the starlight for a moment, and then the stars' reflection beamed out again.
Something was evidently floating there, and he made for it, to find to his great joy that it was the floating box, which he pushed before him as he swam, and a couple of minutes later he was near enough to the edge on the meadow-side to ask Bob's help.
”Ain't got 'em, have you?” the latter whispered.
”Yes; all right. I'll come out there. Give me a hand.”
Dexter swam to the muddy overhanging bank, and seized the hand which Bob extended toward him.
”Now then, shall I duck yer!” said Bob, who had lain down on the wet gra.s.s to extend his hand to the swimmer.
”No, no, Bob, don't. That would be cowardly,” cried Dexter. ”Help me to get out my clothes without letting in the wet. It is so cold.”
”But you swam over,” said Bob sneeringly.
”Yes; but you don't know how chilly it makes you feel. Mind the clothes.”
Bob did mind, and the next minute Dexter and the barge of dry clothes were upon the gra.s.s together.
”Oh, isn't it cold?” said Dexter, with his teeth chattering.
”Cold? no. Not a bit,” said Bob. ”Here, whatcher going to do!”
”Do? Dress myself. Here, give me my s.h.i.+rt. Oh, don't I wish I had a towel!”
”You leave them things alone, stoopid. You can't dress yet.”
”Not dress!”
”No,” cried Bob loudly.
”What do you mean!”
”You come along and I'll show yer. Why, we haven't got the boat.”
”No, but--”
”Well, you're all ready, and you've got to swim across and get it.”
”I've got to get it!” cried Dexter in dismay. ”Why, you said you would get the boat.”
”Yes, but I didn't know then that you were going to swim across.”
”But you said it would take two to get it,” protested Dexter.
”Yes, I thought so then, but you're all ready and can swim across, and get it directly. Here, come along!”