by paused to chuckle afresh, and the object of his attack urged him
to continue, although he evidently realized that he was about to be
held up to boyish ridicule.

"First, the frog thinks he wants that queer red bug the worst kind,"
Toby went on to say, "but as soon as he feels the hook he changes his
mind. Then he starts in to do the greatest acrobatic feats you ever
saw, twisting his hind legs up over his head like he wanted to turn a
somersault, or else climb up the line. Well, when I saw you dangling
on that push-pole, I thought of a fat, greenback frog."

"Huh! guess you'd a tried to climb, too, if you'd been in my place,"
grunted the stout scout, drawing his coat a little closer around him,
and shivering.

"No, I'd have stuck by the boat, Landy," said Toby, soberly.

Landy shot him a suspicious glance but did not make a reply. Perhaps
he may have been wondering whether any of his mates already suspected
that his recent narrow escape had not been such an accident as it
appeared.

Elmer now took a hand in the discussion.

"Here, let's make less noise, fellows," he remarked. "In the
excitement we've already broken our rule, and if there was anyone near
by they must have known all about us. And we're going ashore just
beyond there."

"So soon in the afternoon, Elmer; what's up?" demanded Chatz, who,
having rested since last using the pole, did not understand why they
should call it a day's work at not much after three o'clock.

"If you look at Landy, you'll understand why," continued the patrol
leader.

"Why, he is shivering, sure enough!" exclaimed Chatz; "what ails you,
suh? Are you feeling cold on such a warm day as this?"

"What, me cold!" stuttered Landy, trying to put on a brave face, though
his lips were turning blue and quivering; "of course I ain't. It must
be the excitement of the little scare has gripped me, that's all."

But wise Elmer knew very well he was assuming a degree of comfort which
he did not feel, and he could not stand for it.

"You've got to do one of two things, Landy,", he said, with authority,
"either take the push-pole again, and warm your blood up, or else go
ashore to dry your clothes. Otherwise, we'll have you getting a chill,
and then the fat will be in the fire as far as our hunt goes. Which
shall it be?"

"If it's all the same to you, Elmer, and you mean the whole kit to stop
off too, I say let's go ashore," hastily replied Landy.

"Head for that little co