“Thomas, those pink legs are trying their best to get away from each other,” chuckled Stacy.
“If the colors aren’t fast they surely will get away too,” observed Emma, amid groans.
“That was a good one,” averred Stacy. “Almost as good as I could do myself.”
“What is that boy up to?” whispered Elfreda, addressing Grace. “I know it is mischief, but just what it is I have been unable to discover.”
“Sh-h-h-h! He is greasing the geyser,” whispered Grace.
“With what?”
“Soap! In a few moments, if all goes wrong, you will see something, as I understand geyser-greasing.”
Even as Grace Harlowe uttered the words, Elfreda saw a column of steam and water shoot into the air with a hiss and a roar. Above the noise of the erupting “Little Fountain,” which at first had appeared to be so harmless, might have been heard the yells of Stacy Brown. The explosion had taken him wholly unawares. Tom Gray was no better off, though he did not howl. When the geyser erupted so suddenly, Tom had fallen over backwards, but he was up and out of the way in an instant, ere the boiling water could reach him. Stacy was less fortunate. He was not fully aroused to the peril of his position until he felt a shower of hot water spraying over him.
Stacy uttered a yell and bolted from the immediate vicinity of the pool, while his companions were shouting with laughter, Tom Gray adding his voice to the merriment.
“Did you lose anything, Tom?” teased Grace.