Down alongside Smithy they both dropped. Yes, there was poor old Bumpus in the flood, swimming with hands and legs, and spurting great volumes of the muddy water out of his mouth with each splurge. It chanced that it was quite deep there, and the river ran like a mill race; so that if Smithy had released his grip for a single instant the unlucky Bumpus must have been swept down-stream like a log, in spite of his strenuous efforts.
When his clothes were soaked through, the stout member of the patrol was apt to weigh several hundred pounds; so it was small wonder that, unaided, Smithy could do next to nothing looking to his rescue—just hold on desperately, and shout for help.
But when Thad and Giraffe took a grip it was a different matter. Altogether they started to drag the imperiled scout up out of his impromptu bath.
“Yo-heave-o! Up you come, my boy! One more pull, Thad, and we’ve got him. Wow! what an elephant he is!”
So saying, Giraffe bent again to the task, with the result that Bumpus was soon hauled over the edge of the crumbling bank, and dragged to a place of security. There he lay, sprawled out, gasping for breath, and shedding gallons of water from his soaked khaki suit.
The boys gathered around, staring at him. Although they often poked considerable fun at Bumpus, it was of an innocent sort, for they were exceedingly fond of him.
“Well, you sure look like a great big grampus hauled up on the beach!” remarked Giraffe, with pretended scorn, though to tell the truth in all probability he did not really know what a grampus was, only that it lived in the sea, and stood for something clumsy and large.
“Next time you feel like taking a bath, Bumpus, don’t be so greedy. You’re some size, but the river’s on a flood now, and too big for you!” said Davy; and turning to Thad he continued: “Like as not your stick will show that she jumped up a foot or more when Bumpus dropped in.”
“It’s a bad time to get your feet crossed, suh, when you-all happen to be on a river bank!” Bob White hinted.
“You’re all away off; I didn’t stumble, this time, anyhow, and I wasn’t trying to take a bath either,” spluttered the soaking Bumpus, as he sat up and started wiping his face with a very wet sleeve.