He whistled about the deck for a time with hands in pockets, as if about to say something which he was positive would not meet with the sanction of his chum. At last, however, he found words for it.
“I suppose I’ll have to go and give the dog a run on the bank. That seems to be about the only way I can keep him quiet.”
“No, you don’t!” laughed Jule. “If you get ashore that will be the last of you until someone comes and looks you up. The last time you got away——”
Alex, followed by the dog, sprang to the rail and leaped into the river. Pausing only long enough to turn a laughing face toward his chum, very much wrinkled as to nose, the boy, closely followed by the dog, struck out for the Mexican shore.
“I’ve a good mind to jump in after you!” Jule called out. “You have all the fun!”
“Come on in!” Alex called back. “The water’s fine! I’ll just give Captain Joe a run on shore and come right back.”
Jule hesitated only an instant. What boy can resist a night in May, when the moon shines, and the waves make music on the beach? It is a shame to tempt a boy with a stream of water which ripples and murmurs on such a night.
Jule was tempted—and fell.
The Rio Grande is quite wide at the point where the boys entered the water, and the Rambler was about in the center of the stream, making the swim a long one. The lads, however, struck out bravely and soon landed on a swampy tongue of land which formed a peninsula at that point.
“Say, but this is great!” cried Alex. “I wish Case was here to enjoy it with us.”