f my way! If he ever comes near me I'll----"

Nobody ever found out what it was that Red meant to do. His threat stuck
fast in his throat. For before he could utter it Snowball lowered his
head and dashed at him. He gave Red a butt that lifted him off the rock
and sent him sailing through the air with arms and legs waving wildly,
to fall with a great splash into the swimming hole, where the water was
deepest.

There was a howl of delight. But it did not come from Red. He was
somewhere between the surface of the water and the mucky bottom.

Presently he appeared, spluttering and blowing and gasping. For once in
his life Red had nothing to say in answer to the jibes and jeers of his
mates.

His hat was floating near him. Johnnie Green snatched it up, scooped it
full of water and clapped it upon Red's head.

Even then Red didn't say a word.

But when Snowball looked blandly down at the boys from the great flat
rock and said, "_Baa-a-a!_"--then Red spoke.

He spoke his mind very freely and at some length. And he dared Johnnie
to come out upon the bank with him.

Johnnie Green promptly swam towards the bank where Snowball stood.

"Not that side!" cried Red. "The other one!"

But Johnnie remarked mildly that he supposed of course Red meant the
side towards home. "You've got all your clothes on," said Johnnie. "You
wouldn't want to have to cross the brook, later, and get them wet."

Now, since Red's clothes were as wet as clothes could be, that seemed a
very stupid remark. And Red told Johnnie Green--well, he told him a
number of things. And then Red scrambled up the opposite bank from the
one where Snowball stood, and started off, leaving a trail of water
behind him.

Johnnie Green and his friends forsook the swimming hole and took their
clothes out upon the flat rock, which was warm in the sunshine. And
there they spent a pleasant time untying the knots that Red had made in
them. But first the boys made Johnnie Green drive Snowball away.

"Red will catch it when he gets home," said one of them. "His father
told him not to go swimming to-day."

And not one of them said he was sorry.

XXII

A GREAT JOKE

Farmer Green played a great joke on his flock of sheep. At least that
was what Snowball thought. Since he was not really one of Farmer Green's
flock, but belonged to Johnnie Green, he escaped this joke himself. And
that was the reason why he was able to laugh so heartily at all his
companions.