this water had splashed in from time to time as rougher places were
encountered.

"Ready, Bandy-legs!" cried Max.

"Watch your eyes, old fellow!" warned Steve.

"And d-d-don't you l-l-let her g-g-get away on your l-l-life!" added
Toby, who was greatly aroused, and had been edging down toward the
gutter for several minutes now, evidently bound to be ready to lend a
helping hand, if the other chum needed it.

It really seemed as though some unseen hand might be guiding that half
swamped rowboat, in the interest of those who were so greatly in need
of assistance; for it came heading in toward the house, urged on by the
grip of the changing current, and finally actually bumped confidingly
against the wall below the edge of the roof.

Bandy-legs was on the alert. He dropped over instantly, and they heard
him utter a whoop of delight as he found himself actually in possession
of a boat.

His first act was to slip the noose from under his arms, and his next
to secure that end of the rope to the bow of the boat. Then he started
in to make the water fly like everything, using his hat as a bailing
bucket.

When he had to rest for a minute Bandy-legs stood up so that his head
and shoulders came above the gutter of the roof, and grinned at the
rest.

"How does she seem to be, Bandy-legs?" asked Steve.

"Course I can't just say for certain yet," came the reply; "but looks
like our boat might be watertight, and that the waves have been
splashing aboard all the time she's been adrift. Wait till I get the
rest of the stuff out, and then I'll know for sure."

"How about oars?" asked Max.

"Ain't nary a sign of the same around, and I'm afraid they must a been
washed overboard when--but hold on there, what's this I'm knocking
against every time I dip deep? Say, here's luck in great big gobs,
fellers; it's an oar stuck under the thwarts, as sure as you live!
What, two of the same, seems like! Well, well, what do you know about
that? Couldn't have asked for anything better, could we? Oh! don't I
wish I had all this water out, though."

He had hardly spoken when some one else dropped into the boat, and
started to hurling the water in great quantities over the side. It was
Shack Beggs, and he had a tin basin in his hands. Max remembered
having seen it floating around in the interior of the house, along with
many other things; but at the time, as none of them wanted to take a
wash, he had not bothered securing it. S