Before Rufe, helpless with laughter, could move to defend himself, tub, water, and Wad, all together, were upon him,—the tub capsizing over his head and shoulders, Wad tumbling upon the tub, and the water running out in little rivulets below.
Rufe was pretty wet, but still laughing, when he crawled out, like a snail from under his shell, and got upon his feet, clutching the tub to hurl it at Wad, who fled.
"You are the only one who has got any dry fun out of this scrape!" Rufe said, trying to brush the water out of his neck and breast.
His words were addressed to Jack, and they proved more strictly true than he intended; for just then Chokie, trying to get out of his stranded tub, tipped it over, and went out of it, upon his hands and knees, into the river. By the time he was pulled out and set upon dry ground, the boys were all pretty good-natured.
"How about those leeches, Link? Did you find any?" said Jack.
"I'm too dizzy yet, to think about leeches," replied Link. "I turned a somerset out of that wagon so quick, I could see the patch on the seat of my trousers!"
"I thought I was going through to China," said Wad, "and expected, when I came up, to see men with pigtails."
He stood on the edge of the water, holding another tub for Rufe, if he should come too near.
"Quit your nonsense now!" cried Rufe, "and hand up that barrel."
"I'll quit if you will,—as the poultry-thief said when the old gobbler chased him. 'Quit, quit!' says the turkey. 'Quit your ownself!' says the thief. And I'm just of his way of thinking," said Wad.