The boys were having a very jolly time, thinking nothing of splashing each other with the muddy water as they poled the raft about, when suddenly Ted gave too hard a thrust on his pole. It broke in two pieces and the next second he found himself splashing about in the muddy water. He had fallen off the raft!
“Oh! Wug! Guggle! Blug!” spluttered Ted, his mouth full of muddy water.
“Wait! Sit still! I’ll get you out!” cried Tom.
But Ted did not wait. The water was not deep—hardly up to his knees, and, after splashing and floundering about, he managed to stand up on his feet. He did not “sit still” as Tom had told him to.
Oh, but he was a sight—all muddy, and dripping water all over!
“Are—are you hurt?” asked Tom.
“N—n-no!” stammered Ted, in answer. “You don’t need to jump in to get me out. I—I can wade out.”
“Get on the raft and I’ll pole you to shore,” offered Tom.
“Yes, I can do that,” Ted answered. “There might be glass on the bottom and I’d cut my feet. I’ll get on.”
He managed to get aboard the raft again, though he nearly tipped Tom off in doing so. Then the two boys poled their craft to shore.