“Skinned alive,” answered Hippy with a groan.
Tom ran out and snatched up the suit, which he immediately assisted Hippy to put on.
“Are you still chilly?” questioned Captain Gray after his companion had gotten fully into dry clothes.
“I should say not, after what you have done to me. I don’t care anything about my own condition. What I am half crazy about is Stacy. I don’t, for the life of me, understand how a fellow who can swim as well as he, could drown. Tom, help me out. What do you think I had better do?”
“Do? I think you have done enough—all that can be done. My advice is that we get back to camp. The girls have a good fire going, and my suggestion is that you sit by the fire and dry out your shoes while we decide what we should do next.”
“I don’t suppose there is need for hurry. If he is drowned he’s drowned, and that’s all there is about it, and if he isn’t, he isn’t. Yes, we will go back.”
When Tom and Hippy emerged from Nature’s dressing room, Tom carrying his chum’s wet clothing, they found the Overland girls awaiting them a short distance away. Nora embraced Hippy and wept on his shoulder, and, as a matter of fact, the other three girls of the party had difficulty in keeping their own tears back.
“Oh, this is terrible!” moaned Nora.
Emma pulled herself together.
“I have a mental message that Stacy is all right, and that he will be back to-night,” comforted Miss Dean.