pitch of their voices the moment Teddy fell
in and the vicar went after him.

Both were in a terrible pickle though, with their garments soaking wet,
of course; while the vicar especially was bedraggled with mud from head
to foot, looking the most unclerical object that could be well imagined.
However, he took the whole matter good-humouredly enough, not scolding
Teddy in the least.

"The best thing we can do, my son," he said when he had somewhat
recovered his breath, not having gone through such violent exercise for
many a long day.--"The best thing we can do is to hurry off home as fast
we can, so as to arrive there before they hear anything of the accident
from other sources, or the girls will be terribly alarmed about us."

Teddy, without speaking, tacitly assented to this plan by jumping up
immediately and clutching hold of the shivering Puck, whose asthma, by
the way, was not improved by this second involuntary ducking; and the
two were hastening towards the vicarage when they heard a horse trotting
behind them, Doctor Jolly riding up alongside before they had proceeded
very far along the lane, after clambering out of the field where the
pond was situated.

"Bless me!" cried the doctor; "why, here are you both safe and sound,
when those village urchins said you and Master Teddy were drownded!"

"Ah! I thought these boys were up to something of the sort when they
all scampered off in a batch without lending us a helping hand!" replied
the vicar laughing. "I was just telling Teddy this, thinking the report
would reach home before us."

"Aye, all happen, Vernon? 'Pon my word, you're in a fine mess!"

The vicar thereupon narrated all that had occurred, much to the doctor's
amusement.

"Well," he exclaimed at the end of the story, "that boy of yours is cut
out for something, you may depend. He won't be drowned at any rate!"

"No," said the vicar reflectively; "this is the second merciful escape
he has had from the water."

"Yes, and once from fire, too," put in the other, alluding to the
gunpowder episode. "He's a regular young desperado!"

"I hope not, Jolly," hastily interposed the vicar. "I don't like your
joking about his escapades in that way. I hope he will be good--eh, my
boy?" and he stroked Teddy's head as he walked along by his side, father
and son being alike hatless, their headgear remaining floating on the
pond, along with the remains of the raft, to frighten the frogs and
fishes.

T