dozen feet.

"Stop, you rascal, stop!" he yelled hoarsely.

Randy did not obey; he only paddled the faster.

The irascible old fellow glared at him in helpless rage for a second,
and then his face lit up with an awful smile as he saw the big fishing
pole floating on the water within reach. The line was fastened in some
way to the boat.

It was the work of an instant to snatch the pole and tear it free. Then
lifting it overhead the man made a furious stroke at the rapidly
receding canoe.

Whisk! whisk! came the elastic end with stinging force against Randy's
back and shoulders. Maddened by the pain he partially rose and leaned
forward. At the second blow he reeled to one side, stumbled against the
combing, and went out of the canoe backward without upsetting it.

His enemy was by no means satisfied with what punishment he had already
inflicted. He dropped the pole, and made haste to join the little man
and yellow dog on the bank.

"Ebenezer," he cried angrily, "pursue that young rascal. Chase him down
the creek. If you catch him I'll give you a five dollar bill."

More from fear of disobeying than from any hope of earning the reward,
the little man started off on a run with the yellow dog at his heels.

Just at this moment Ned and his companions reached the scene of the
disaster. The fat man stopped wringing the water from his trousers to
shake his fist at them.

"You're all alike," he growled, "all alike! I never saw a boy that
wasn't a born reprobate. I wish I had you out on shore; I'd teach you a
lesson."

Ned tried to explain that the upsetting of the boat was a pure accident,
but the angry man refused to hear him.

"Don't tell me," he muttered, "I know better."

Realizing that further argument would be futile, the boys made what
amends they could by chasing the two fishing rods and the hat, and then
lifting the anchors of the boat and pushing it to shore.

The fat man acknowledged these favors with a surly nod of his head, and
so threatening was his manner that the boys hastily retreated from the
bank, and paddled down stream, stopping on the way to recover the sail.

Meanwhile Randy had quietly swum down the creek some distance, pushing
the canoe ahead of him, and landed on the left shore. The boys could see
him plainly as he stood on a rock wringing the water from his clothes.

Having no inclination to swim the creek, Ebenezer had given up the chase
and was now returning along the right bank. W