; but it was too dark for him to see anything, and Dexter,
forgetting cold and dread, swam bravely on, looking well to right and
left, without avail, till all at once, just in one of the deepest
eddies, some fifty yards down below the doctor's house, and where an
unusually large willow spread its arms over the stream, he caught sight
of something which blotted out the starlight for a moment, and then the
stars' reflection beamed out again.

Something was evidently floating there, and he made for it, to find to
his great joy that it was the floating box, which he pushed before him
as he swam, and a couple of minutes later he was near enough to the edge
on the meadow-side to ask Bob's help.

"Ain't got 'em, have you?" the latter whispered.

"Yes; all right. I'll come out there. Give me a hand."

Dexter swam to the muddy overhanging bank, and seized the hand which Bob
extended toward him.

"Now then, shall I duck yer!" said Bob, who had lain down on the wet
grass to extend his hand to the swimmer.

"No, no, Bob, don't. That would be cowardly," cried Dexter. "Help me
to get out my clothes without letting in the wet. It is so cold."

"But you swam over," said Bob sneeringly.

"Yes; but you don't know how chilly it makes you feel. Mind the
clothes."

Bob did mind, and the next minute Dexter and the barge of dry clothes
were upon the grass together.

"Oh, isn't it cold?" said Dexter, with his teeth chattering.

"Cold? no. Not a bit," said Bob. "Here, whatcher going to do!"

"Do? Dress myself. Here, give me my shirt. Oh, don't I wish I had a
towel!"

"You leave them things alone, stoopid. You can't dress yet."

"Not dress!"

"No," cried Bob loudly.

"What do you mean!"

"You come along and I'll show yer. Why, we haven't got the boat."

"No, but--"

"Well, you're all ready, and you've got to swim across and get it."

"I've got to get it!" cried Dexter in dismay. "Why, you said you would
get the boat."

"Yes, but I didn't know then that you were going to swim across."

"But you said it would take two to get it," protested Dexter.

"Yes, I thought so then, but you're all ready and can swim across, and
get it directly. Here, come along!"

"But--but," stammered Dexter, who was shivering in the chill night air.

"What, you're cold? Well, come along. I'll carry the box. Let's run.
It'll warm yer."

Dexter was ready with another protest, but he did not utter it. His
companion seemed