"See if this shallow runs all the way across."
"No you don't! Chances are there's a break in it in the middle and then you'd be all out of luck. I'll do the investigating."
"Stay right where you are; I'm boss." Payne was forcing his way out from shore. Halfway across he stopped, panting and exhausted from the task of driving through the clinging mud.
"No break?" called Higgins.
"No; solid so far."
"Then it's solid all the way across." Higgins leaped in and, profiting by the trail broken in the mud, came swiftly up to where Roger stood, took a desperate chance and fairly swam through the mud, and took the lead.
"I'll break trail the rest of the way. Now—both together!"
Pushing, pulling, falling and floundering they thrust on. The mud grew thicker, heavier, and each step in it now was an appalling effort. At last Higgins came to a stop. They were twenty feet from the farther bank and the mud had assumed the consistency of heavy clay.
"Stuck?" gasped Payne.
"No!" Higgins began to dig at the stuff with his hands.