“It happened that we were fishing past that big rock where Tubby caught his other noble bass,” explained Andy. “So we didn’t have far to swim, pushing the boat between us. I knew that was the easiest way to manage, because Tubby would have had a tough job climbing over the stern.”
“Huh! must have weighed nearly a ton with my soaked clothes,” the fat boy agreed. “But we didn’t lose anything, except a hook, and that monster bass. It wasn’t such a terrible experience, either. If the day had been chilly at all we’d have started a fire, and dried out; but neither of us cared to bother going to all that trouble; so we baled out the boat, and just commenced fishing again; but I never got another bully strike like that one.”
They were not feeling uncomfortable in the least; as their clothes had by this time pretty well dried out upon their backs, neither of the boys took the trouble to make any change.
“I’m too hungry to wait a minute,” announced Tubby, showing that he had heard the summons to lunch as the car approached the farmhouse.
It was high noon, and still no Peleg. Rob continued to wonder what could be keeping the farm boy in town. Still, it was a good ten mile tramp in case he thought to make it afoot. On the other hand, Rob thought he might be waiting for a chance to ride with some farmer returning home, and that the opportunity may not as yet have come along.
“What, no frogs’ legs today?” remarked Tubby, when the meal had progressed far enough to show this lack of his favorite delicacy.
“Oh! we’ve decided to leave all that to you, Tubby,” laughed Ralph. “It seems that the rest of us have had all we want of that fish-chicken combination. There’s the pond, and whenever you feel like having a mess take my Flobert and get busy. The rest of us have other fish to fry.”
“What’s the programme for this afternoon?” asked Sim.
Rob looked toward Ralph, fully expecting to hear the other suggest that they go to town. Again he was mistaken, for nothing of the kind came about.
“Why,” Ralph started to say, “father has asked me to take the car and run over to Flemington to attend to some business that needs looking after. If any or all of you feel like going along, now’s your chance to say the word. There’ll be room for you, and it’s worth going thirty miles uphill and down, for you’ll get some mighty fine views. How about you, Rob?”