Part 23 (2/2)
”You know”
”I guess that picnic bunch is flopping around on the river from the sound”
Silence for a fewshe said?”
”Oh, yes,” said Roy, ”let's see--I forget”
”Go on--stop your fooling! What was it?”
”Do you _have_ to know?”
”What was it?”
”She said she was going to recip--Oh, listen!”
”Re-what?”
”Reciprocate”
”What's that?”
”Pay you back”
”I wouldn't take a cent I wouldn't take anything fro that! You better wait and see what she offers you first”
”Would you take anything for a service?”
”Depends on what it was,” said Roy cautiously
”_I_ wouldn't take anything for a service”
”No?”
”I wouldn't take anything from her”
But he did just the sa scout-pace along the beaten path through the woods which led down to the river As they neared it, a confusion of sounds and voices greeted their ears and when they presently eed upon the shore they found a scene of pandemonium
In mid-strea to it were To creature whose strea hair was plastered over his face and as in a perfect panic of fright as every ht and lowered his head into the water
On the farther shore one little group called futilely to the hapless crew, bidding theh advice, except that no advice is of any use to a person in peril of drowning The bedraggled creature in particular would have prevented any such orderly and rational conduct by his terror-stricken clutchings and cries of ”Save roup on the opposite shore was gathered about a figure which Toot a rope over there?” called Roy, kicking off his sneakers