He gave Ty a push as the other tried to clamber out on the bank and forced him in again. The other showed signs of fight until Elmer, sizing up the situation, called out:
"That's only fair, Ty; you made him lose his rod, as well as take a ducking with his clothes on. Get the rod again, and let him pull in his fish."
Possibly Ty realized the justice of this claim; or it might be he felt disposed to take his medicine gracefully, for with a laugh he swam out again, as well as he was able with his garments clinging to his limbs, secured the rod, which had partly sunk, and came back with it in one hand.
As if to prove that he harbored no animosity, Adam frankly stretched out his hand and helped Ty ashore. There they stood, dripping wet, and laughing at each other.
"Oxcuse me, Ty," said the German lad, making a queer face; "put I haf to laugh, it is so funny! You dinks to make me some droubles, and by shiminy you fall indo de same hole yourself. So, dere is two of us!"
"The joke is on Ty," announced Elmer. "I saw the whole thing, and I want Adam to own up right now that he had one eye open all the while, and was watching what was going on."
Adam looked up at him with a leer on his square face; then he shut one eye and deliberately winked at Elmer.
"I subbose dot I vas nodt so much asleep as somepody pelieves," he said; and that was the only confession they could get out of him.
Fortunately, as the weather was so very warm, there was no danger of either of the boys taking cold after their ducking. Neither of them would bother changing their garments, or attempting to dry those they had on.
"Let 'em dry on me," said Ty, whose good-nature had returned, though he declared that everything had conspired to upset all his calculations that morning; what with the obstinate bull, and now the clumsy Dutchman who had to throw out his arm and pull him into the river along with himself.