't
as sweet as violets or roses, Steve."

"Well, what's done can't be undone, they say!" declared the other, with
a reckless laugh, which was Steve all over; "better luck next time, I
say. Here, Toby, what d'ye think of that for a saddle? Do the needful to
him, won't you please, for I've got to scrape some of this nasty black
muck off my trousers legs?"

"Here, this won't do, Steve," observed Max, severely; "you're beginning
to shiver right now, and it'll get worse before long. You're soaked to
the skin, chances are. It might be all well enough in the good old
summer-time to let your duds dry on you, but not in this raw April
weather. We've got to postpone the balance of our frog hunt, and make a
fire."

"What for?" asked Steve, petulantly, because he did not much fancy
allowing the others to make him out to be a weakling.

"To dry your clothes, if you must know it; and we won't take no for an
answer either, eh, boys?" and Max winked toward the other two, who
immediately chimed in vociferously to echo his sentiments.

"Oh! well, have it your way," grumbled Steve, though there was a gleam
in his eyes that showed how he secretly appreciated this solicitude over
his-health displayed by his chums. "P'raps I will feel some better if I
get dried out. I had a cough last winter that worried my folks, and
mebbe I shouldn't take chances."

"Come along this way and we'll soon have a jolly blaze started," said
Max, who was accustomed to acting as leader, though never at any time
becoming officious to an extent that might be displeasing.

There was plenty of good wood handy, and certainly those lads knew every
little trick connected with building fires; so that in a very short time
the cheery flames were jumping merrily upward, and a genial warmth was
disseminated that felt unusually pleasant to the boy who had commenced
shivering in his wet clothes.

"Now peel off right away, and we'll see about drying your duds!" Max
told him.

"Y-y-you might p-p-put on my sweater while we're d-d-doing the same,"
added Toby, who was as generous a boy as could be found in a day's
journey afield.

"That's kind of you, Toby, and if you think you won't need it right
away, guess I ought to accept. You see I ain't used to prancing around
in April without my clothes on. Hang it on that branch, Max; it'll be
close enough to steam without getting' scorched. How long will it take
to dry my shirt out, d'ye think?"

"Oh! perhaps only a matter o