g signs of coming to; his arms, extended
above his head while this process of pumping air into him was being
conducted, twitched and moved; then he groaned, and finally made a move
as if he wanted to get up.

Ten minutes after being taken from the water he was sitting up, and
asking what all the fuss was about.

Tom afterwards confessed to a dim recollection of feeling something
hitting him a dull blow in the head; after that he knew nothing more
until he opened his eyes to see his mates clustered around, and hear
them give lusty cheers.

But he heard how Paul had acted so wisely, and while Tom was a fellow
not much given to words, at the first opportunity he thanked his friend
with tears in his eyes; for he was thinking of a fond mother at home,
and what a blow she must have received had he been drowned.

The boys cared little about indulging themselves in any more bathing in
that treacherous portion of the fast-running Bushkill. Down around
Stanhope they understood its various moods; but up in this Rattlesnake
Mountain district it was quite a different thing.

Breakfast appealed more to them, and they went at it with a will. Tom
was exempt from any menial labor on that morning. Warmly dressed, and
placed close to the roaring fire, he watched his chums work, and thought
what a splendid thing it was he had not been alone at the time the
accident happened.

And Paul was more than glad it turned out so well. Had a tragedy come to
pass, their joyous outing must have met with a sudden halt, and the
return journey to Stanhope would have been a sad one indeed.

"What's the programme for to-day?" asked Jack, as they all sat around,
eating the fine breakfast the patrol cooks had served.

"Another hike, and this time up the mountain," returned Paul. "It will
be our last for a while, at least, for when we get settled in another
camp I hope to stay there until our scoutmaster arrives."

"And when do you look for Mr. Gordon, Paul?" queried Wallace, who seemed
to have lost his appetite after seeing how near a companion had come to
a terrible death.

"Any hour after this. He said he would use my wheel in coming up here,
so as to make better time. I'll be glad when he comes," and Paul gave a
sigh as he glanced around at the score of boyish faces turned toward
him; to let his gaze rest finally on that of genial Tom Betts, whom he
had known pretty much all his life.

Nor indeed could Paul be blamed for wishing to pass the r