Joe understood it, whether Sam did or not and it put new speed into him. He ran so swiftly that he very soon left his single pursuer out of hearing, but he exhausted himself in the effort, and when he dashed out of the bushes and stopped on the bank in plain sight of the skiff, he was so nearly out of breath that he could not raise a shout to draw the attention of his chums, who were hard at work putting up the tent. But Jim saw him, and announced the fact by a joyful bark, followed by a vigorous wagging of his tail. Arthur and Roy looked toward the bank, and there stood Joe, swinging his arms wildly about his head. When he saw that he had attracted their notice, he pointed to the woods, and then up the pond toward the canvas canoe which was coming down with all the speed that Jake and Sam could give it. The boys in the skiff saw and understood. The anchor came up quicker than it ever did before, the oars were shipped, and the skiff came toward the bank with a heavy bone in her teeth. By this time Matt Coyle arrived within hearing again, and Joe, fearing that he might make his appearance before his friends could rescue him, stepped into the water and struck out to meet the skiff. Jake and Sam yelled savagely at him, and redoubled their efforts to place themselves between him and his friends; but they might as well have saved their breath and strength. The skiff came up rapidly, and Joe knew that he was saved. Suddenly a bright idea suggested itself to him—one that would have enabled him to turn the tables upon the squatter very neatly, if his friends had only been prompt to act upon it. Raising himself as far out of the water as he could, he called out:
“Boys, never mind me. I’ve got my second wind now, and can swim for an hour. Go up there and capture my canoe, or else run over her and send her to the bottom. Don’t let those villains take her away from me again.”
“All right,” replied Roy, still giving away strong on his oar. “We’ll get your canoe back for you, but we will take care of you first.”
“No, no!” insisted Joe. “Capture or sink the canoe first, and attend to me afterward. I am all right, I tell you. I can easily keep afloat until you come back.”
“Why, boy, you haven’t got a breath to spare,” said Arthur. “I know it by the way you talk. Come in out of the wet.”
“You held fast to your fly-rod through it all, didn’t you?” said Roy, as he took me from Joe’s hand.
“Yes. I didn’t know whether or not I could outrun them, and I wanted something to defend myself with in case they came up with me.”
When Joe tried to climb into the skiff, he found that he was by no means in as good condition as he thought he was. He could scarcely help himself at all, and his chums were obliged to pull him in by main strength. The moment they let go of him he sank down against the stern locker and panted loudly; but he was as full of determination as ever.
“Now go up and sink the canoe,” he almost gasped.
But a single glance was enough to show Arthur and Roy that it was too late to do any thing with the canoe. Jake and his brother heard the order that Joe shouted at his friends while he was in the water, and made all haste to put themselves out of harm’s way. When Joe was hauled into the skiff they were so close to the shore that all attempts to intercept them would have been unavailing.