ous beaver all the time.

"It's dying out, and that's a fact!" cried Colon, the one who dipped up
the water at the other end of the line. "Getting much darker down here.
About time, too, I reckon, because I've just about emptied the whole
river!"

"Oh! quit your grumbling, Colon!" called out Sid, who was just above
the bank, receiving each bucket that the tall boy reached up to him.
"We ought to be sending up a regular chorus because we saved our boat."

"Don't believe for a minute that I'm growling, Sid," the long-legged
Colon gasped, for he began to feel winded by his exertion. "I'm only
bothered for fear there won't be enough river left for that boat race
to be pulled off."

"Plenty more coming from above, Colon; so brace up. Perhaps it'll rain
cats and dogs before the race comes off, and the river be bank full,"
and Dave Hanshaw tossed an empty bucket down to the boy at the brink of
the stream.

"A few more and we can let up, boys!" came the cheering news from Brad,
who, being close to the burning brush, ought to know.

And indeed, it did suddenly become gloomy as the fire failed to find
any more dry fuel to feed upon, so that it gasped fitfully, and
threatened to go out entirely.

So, presently, there was no further need of exertion on the part of the
now weary passers of water; and the boys began to gather around their
own blaze, which some one had rekindled with fresh wood.

Some of them were wet, and all more or less chilly after giving up
their exertions; so that they were glad to gather around the fire, with
coats on, or blankets thrown over their shoulders.

Sleep, for the time being, had been utterly banished from their eyes;
for one and all were desirous of comparing notes as to the origin of
the furious fire.

"Was it the work of some sneak, who wanted to burn our boat, Brad?"
asked Dick Hendricks.

"That's hard to say, Dick," was the reply. "I'd hate to think anybody
could be so mean as to want to do that."

"Huh! we happen to know one feller who wouldn't stop a minute,"
remarked Corney.

"There's another possibility that none of you seems to have thought
of," said Fred, breaking in just then.

"What's that, Fred?" demanded Brad, turning toward the speaker,
quickly.

"Why, perhaps it was an accident, after all," observed Fred.

"An accident!" echoed Colon.

"Well, _something_ started that fire, we all know that," Fred went on,
resolutely. "It never caught from a spark that came from