Part 14 (2/2)

Harry thought Downy must be a queer duck if he looked that way, but, of course, he did not question Freddie's description.

”Here, Downy, Downy!” called Freddie, as they came to the little stream where the duck always swam around. But there was no duck to be seen.

”Where is he?” Freddie asked, anxiously.

”Maybe back of some stones,” ventured Harry. Then he and Bert joined in the search, but no duck was to be found.

”That's strange,” Bert reflected. ”He's always around here.”

”Where does the lake run to?” Harry inquired.

”Into the ocean,” answered Bert; ”but Downy never goes far. There's Hal now. We'll get in his boat and see if we can find the duck.”

Hal, seeing his friends, rowed in to the sh.o.r.e with his father's new rowboat that he was just trying.

”We have lost Freddie's duck,” said Bert. ”Have you seen him anywhere?”

”No, I just came out,” replied Hal. ”But get in and we'll go look for him.”

”This is my Cousin Harry I told you about,” said Bert, introducing Harry, and the two boys greeted each other, cordially.

All four got into the boat, and Harry took care of Freddie while the other boys rowed.

”Oh. I'm afraid someone has stoled Downy,” cried Freddie, ”and maybe they'll make--make--pudding out of him.”

”No danger,” said Hal, laughing. ”No one around here would touch your duck. But he might have gotten curious to see the ocean. He certainly doesn't seem to be around here.”

The boys had reached the line where the little lake went in a tunnel under a road, and then opened out into the ocean.

”We'll have to leave the boat here,” said Hal, ”and go and ask people if Downy came down this way.”

Tying up the boat to a stake, the boys crossed the bridge, and made their way through the crowd of bathers down to the waves.

”Oh, oh!” screamed Freddie. ”I see him! There he is!” and sure enough, there was Downy, like a tiny speck, rolling up and down on the waves, evidently having a fine swim, and not being in the least alarmed at the mountains of water that came rolling in.

”Oh, how can we get him?” cried Freddie, nearly running into the water in his excitement.

”I don't know,” Hal admitted. ”He's pretty far out.”

Just then a life-saver came along. Freddie always insisted the life-guards were not white people, because they were so awfully browned from the sun, and really, this one looked like some foreigner, for he was almost black.

”What's the trouble?” he asked, seeing Freddie's distress.

”Oh, Downy is gone!” cried the little fellow in tears now.

”Gone!” exclaimed the guard, thinking Downy was some boy who had swam out too far.

<script>