aptain promptly--all but Tubby, at least. But Tubby was not in this
exciting adventure at all, being asleep under the bush at their lunching
place.

The fat boy was not even aroused when the crowd trooped back to the
spot, boys and girls alike chattering like magpies. Dave and Ferd
carried the dripping Bessie in "arm-chair" fashion and the girl who so
disliked boys clung to her two chief rescuers with abandon.

They had hauled her out of the river just as she was losing her grasp on
the tree. A moment later she might have been whirled down stream by the
current and her life endangered. As it was, she had swallowed much
water, and was just as wet inside and out as she would ever be in her
life.

All the boys were more or less wet--Dave was saturated to his arm-pits.
But the day was warm, and the boys were used to such duckings. It was
another matter, however, with the girl. She was already shaking with an
incipient chill.

"Wood on the fire, boys--get a lot of it," commanded Dave. "And get our
blankets and let's put up a makeshift tent for Bess to use. She must get
off her wet duds and wring them out and dry them. Hi! wake up that Tubby
Blaisdell. We want his help."

Ferd proceeded to walk right over the fat youth on his way for more fuel
and that effectually aroused the lad.

"Hey--you! what are you about?" yawned Tubby. "Can't you find another
place to walk on but _me_, Ferd Roberts?"

"I've got to walk _some_where," quoth Ferd.

"Why! you're all wet," gasped Tubby. "And so are you, Dave! And those
other fellows--I declare!"

"Wake up and do something, Tubby," commanded Dave. "We want to get a
tent up, There's been an accident, and Bessie Lavine is wetter than any
of us. Let's have your knife."

"My--my knife?" yawned Tubby, rolling over slowly to reach into his
breeches pocket.

This was too good a chance for Ferd to resist. Tubby was rolling near
the edge of the bank as Ferd came back with his arms full of broken
branches. Ferd put his foot against Tubby's back and pushed with all his
might.

"Hi! Stop that! Ugh!"

Tubby rolled over once--he rolled over twice; then, with many
ejaculations and bumps rolled completely down the slope, amid the
laughter of the boys and girls above him.

Tubby missed the canoes--by good luck--and rolled with a splash into a
shallow pool at the river's edge.

"You mean thing!" he yelled, getting up with some alacrity and shaking
his fist at Ferd. "I--I'm all wet."

"