But now arose another unforeseen obstacle. The boat, when pushed off by a dozen pairs of willing hands, refused to go. And there was really nothing very odd in this, as it contained no motive power of any description whatever. To be sure, its usual method of locomotion was to be dragged about the nursery floor with a string, where it traveled smoothly enough on its little wooden wheels.
Finally the big papier-mache alligator that Bob had brought from Florida threw himself into the breach, and gallantly offered to tow the boat, an offer that was joyfully accepted.
Bedelia, who by this time was in tears, plucked up her spirits, and after some little delay, caused by the necessary search for a piece of string, the ark moved majestically off, while Bedelia gaily waved her handkerchief from her airy perch.
Twice did they circle grandly around the bath, Bedelia calling out to the admiring crowd which lined the shore that she was already experiencing much benefit from the cool breezes. But as they started for a third trip the baby cub, animated, no doubt, by the Imp of the Perverse, leaning far out over the water as if to wave to her mother suddenly smote the alligator full in the neck with a large cake of Turkish bath soap which she had purloined from the near-by wash stand.
Now the alligator was without a doubt a fine fellow, but he had never been intended to stand such a soaking as he was now getting. As the fearsome missile, hard as Pharaoh’s heart, took him in his tenderest spot, silently, and without a quiver, his head separated from his body and sank gently but firmly to the bottom.
The ark, thus suddenly arrested in its course, spun around and tilted over crazily, sending poor Bedelia flying off at a tangent.
At this awful exhibition a dreadful cry went up from the horrified crowd that lined the banks. The next moment Bedelia was seen waddling toward the shore and crying lustily to be pulled out. To be sure, the water was not deep enough to drown her and she could easily enough have scrambled up the steps had she not been too thoroughly terrified to attempt to help herself, and she was naturally very wet and draggled, when hauled out with some difficulty by her almost demented better half.
The poor alligator, now reduced to a shapeless pulp, floated idly on top of the water, while his beautifully varnished complexion slowly soaked off and stained the tide in every direction. It was indeed a piteous spectacle. As it was impossible to do anything with him at so late an hour, it was decided to leave him where he was for the night, and on the following evening to fish him out and give him a grand funeral. These most laudable intentions were, however, foiled by Betty, the housemaid, who coming in early to clean the bath-room, discovered the remains of the departed and promptly deposited them in the kitchen coal scuttle, whence they were ingloriously cremated by cook the very next time she put coal on the fire.