“Tom and George are both rotten eggs!” was the decision of the majority as they arose, snorting from the water, flipping the drops from their eyes with quick shakes of their heads. These two lads, the last ones in, struck the water at the same time.
“I don’t care, as long as it’s a tie,” laughed George, and then the water fun began. It was only one form of amusement for Rick and Ruddy, those inseparable boy and dog chums. Though living at the seashore, as he did, Rick perhaps found more enjoyment in the water than he did on land.
Some of his adventures, and those of his four-footed chum, I have set down for you in the first book of this series, called “Rick and Ruddy,” telling how Ruddy came to his young master literally out of the sea. For Ruddy was swept overboard from a vessel in a storm, and was rescued by a coast-guard, the dog later adopting Rick as Rick adopted Ruddy.
The boy and dog grew, loving each other more and more. They went to camp together, as related in the book of that name, and their last experiences had been while cruising with Uncle Tod in the Sallie, told of in the volume “Rick and Ruddy Afloat.”
Uncle Tod, after having established his salt industry, had come to stay for a while with Rick’s mother, whose uncle he was, rather than Rick’s. But Rick claimed him as his own; and so did Chot and Ruddy, the dog dividing his affections fairly among all three.
“Well, fellows, this is my last dive,” announced Tom Martin, as he stood on an old pile and poised.
“Same here,” echoed Rick. “Stump you to do it backward,” he added.
“Right!” answered Tom, and, turning, he went with a clean-cut dive into the water that way, a feat matched by Rick. None of the other boys would dare this, though it was comparatively simple. Then, one after another, they climbed out, raced around in the sun a bit to dry and donned their regulation clothes, which did not take much longer to put on than had their swimming trunks. The boys believed in simplicity—especially on hot days.
“What you going to do to-night, Chot?” asked Rick, as they were about to part, for their homes were on different streets.
“Oh, nawthin’. What you going to do?”