"But you can swim, all right," remarked Max.
"Oh! I wasn't thinking about myself that time, but what a fine thing it'd be to strap it around one of the girls right now. I say, Max, whatever are we agoin' to do with the three, if the old coop does take a notion to cut loose?"
"Not so loud, Bandy-legs," warned Max, with a little hiss, and a crooked finger. "We don't want them to know how tough things really are. If the worst does come we'll have to do what we can to keep them afloat; but I'm still hoping we may get some doors out that would be better than nothing, to hold on to in the water."
"I heard Bessie tell you that there was a clothesline hanging to a hook inside there, before the water came, and that it might be there yet if not washed away," Bandy-legs went on to remark.
"Yes, it wasn't very encouraging," Max informed him; "but I'm going inside and see if I can find it."
"You'll want help with the doors, too, of course, Max?"
"And I know where to look for it when you're around, Bandy-legs, because you're one of the most accommodating fellows on earth," the other told him.
"I'm about as wet as can be, so it doesn't matter a whiff what happens to me from now on," remarked the other boy; "but if we have to do more or less swimmin' while we're in there, Max, hadn't we better take our shoes off? I never could do good work with the same on."
"That's what I'm meaning to do, Bandy-legs; and there's no need of our waiting around any longer, so here goes."
Saying which Max proceeded to remove his wet shoes and socks, rolling his trouser legs up half way to his knees.