up to his middle he reached out and,
catching the child by the hair, drew him to the bank and set him on his
feet. Still screaming with terror, Billy threw up some of the water he
had swallowed, and without turning his head made off in the direction of
home, calling piteously upon his mother.

Mr. Blows, shivering on the bank, watched him out of sight, and, missing
his cap, was just in time to see that friend of several seasons slowly
sinking in the middle of the river. He squeezed the water from his
trousers and, crossing the bridge, set off across the meadows.

His self-imposed term of bachelorhood lasted just three months, at the
end of which time he made up his mind to enact the part of the generous
husband and forgive his wife everything. He would not go into details,
but issue one big, magnanimous pardon.

Full of these lofty ideas he set off in the direction of home again. It
was a three-days' tramp, and the evening of the third day saw him but a
bare two miles from home. He clambered up the bank at the side of the
road and, sprawling at his ease, smoked quietly in the moonlight.

A waggon piled up with straw came jolting and creaking toward him. The
driver sat dozing on the shafts, and Mr. Blows smiled pleasantly as he
recognised the first face of a friend he had seen for three months. He
thrust his pipe in his pocket and, rising to his feet, clambered on to
the back of the waggon, and lying face downward on the straw peered down
at the unconscious driver below.

"I'll give old Joe a surprise," he said to himself. "He'll be the first
to welcome me back."

"Joe," he said, softly. "'Ow goes it, old pal?"

Mr. Joe Carter, still dozing, opened his eyes at the sound of his name
and looked round; then, coming to the conclusion that he had been
dreaming, closed them again.

"I'm a-looking at you, Joe," said Mr. Blows, waggishly. "I can see you."

Mr. Carter looked up sharply and, catching sight of the grinning features
of Mr. Blows protruding over the edge of the straw, threw up his arms
with a piercing shriek and fell off the shafts on to the road. The
astounded Mr. Blows, raising himself on his hands, saw him pick himself
up and, giving vent to a series of fearsome yelps, run clumsily back
along the road.

"Joe!" shouted Mr. Blows. "J-o-o-oE!"

[Illustration: "'Joe!' shouted Mr. Blows. 'J-o-o-OE!'"]

Mr. Carter put his hands to his ears and ran on blindly, while his
friend, sitting on the