“Well, what’s the decision?” asked Case.
“Yes,” answered Alex, “who’s ready for a cold bath?”
“If there’s anything I just love to do,” laughed Jule, “it is to go swimming. This water is fine!”
“Suppose we all strip?” suggested Case, who did not care to get his new suit wet.
“Then we’ll have to leave someone on this side to watch the clothes,” said Jule. “That will be a good job for me.”
“In a pig’s wrist,” Case said. “We’ll draw lots to see who stays behind.”
Fate decided in favor of Alex, much to the disgust of that young man, who was really anxious to try conclusions with the men who had stolen the boat. He tried his best to get a substitute, but did not succeed, and so was obliged to sit idly on the bank of the stream while the others took to the water.
“Come on in. The water’s fine!” taunted Jule.
Notwithstanding the optimism of Jule, the water was wretchedly cold. At that time, however, the people in the stream were too much occupied with other matters to pay any attention to the temperature of the water.
They spread out in the shape of a fan and made for the opposite shore with no thought of the chill of the water. When at last their feet struck the shelving shore, they kept the old formation.