“That would be a good idea,” said Phœnix.
“It’s as warm down in this part of the world as if it was summer-time, and the water looks so nice and clear I feel as if I’d like to jump into it.”
Both boys now began to undress, but Chap was ready first, and standing on the top of the little cabin he made a dive into the water. He soon rose again to the surface, and swimming around in a small circle, returned to the boat.
“You’d better take care how you dive,” he said to Phœnix, reaching up as he spoke and taking hold of the side of the boat. “The bottom is horrid. It’s all covered with oysters, and it won’t do to get any of the water in your mouth, for it’s salt.”
“Why, didn’t you know that?” said Phœnix, who was not quite ready to go in. “This river is really only an arm of the sea, and all those big fish we caught the other day came in from the ocean.”
“Yes, I remember Adam’s telling about it,” said Chap, “but I forgot it. I don’t believe I care to swim in such water as this. It isn’t like the ocean, and it isn’t like the real, honest river. The water isn’t very deep out here, but it seemed sort of scary to me when I went down.”
“I guess that’s because of the queer things you know are in the river,” suggested Phœnix.
“I shouldn’t wonder if that was it,” said Chap.
Just at this moment a sound was heard in the river that made the boys jump. It was the noise of something rushing through the water, and, looking around, they saw part of the back and tail of a great fish, which was surging along at a tremendous rate toward the boat.
Chap instinctively pulled himself up by his hands, and Phœnix made a frenzied clutch at his arm and jerked him out of the water and over the side of the boat before Chap knew what he intended to do.