It bumped into the end of the other boat, and the children laughed gayly as Jakey said: “Maybe I diden’ jar dat Hun dat trip, eh?”
“It would be heaps more fun if you’d get in anudder boat and play shoot at mine. I could fire back, and we could see which one gets hit t’ most—den he would be sunk, you know!” said Prunel.
“It sounds good—say, you keep in dis boat while I jump in dat one. You’ve got a lot of stones left but I kin get some from the bank in a minute,” consented Jakey.
Jakey went to the end of the boat and stood upon the prow waiting for an opportunity to spring over into the adjoining boat. This was easy to do, and soon he jumped and landed safely in the bottom of the flat boat, but the impetus he used when springing sent the other boat out from under him and Prunel, being alone and without any hold on willow-branch or rope, was floated out from shore.
“Say, Jakey Muller—hurry out and get me back!” called Prunel, but not loud enough for the others to hear, as she knew it was not just what she should have done without asking permission.
“S-sh! Wait a minute! I’ll wade out and pull you back!” replied Jakey, in a low voice also.
He sat down and pulled off his sandals and stockings, but the boat had caught the edge of the current that made a channel quite near shore at this spot of the lake.
He endeavored to reach the end of the boat but it eluded his hand. Then he waded deeper and tried again, still the boat moved outward and Prunel was becoming frightened.
“Oh pshaw—I gotta jump fer it!” growled Jakey, and at that he reached quickly while taking a far-advanced step. His foot went in a hole, and he fell face downward into the lake. The boat sped onward now faster, as it felt the carrying tide of the current.
Before Jakey could regain his footing and splutter out the water that choked him and blinded his eyes, Prunel was at least fifty feet from shore. She had remained perfectly quiet until now, thinking Jakey would surely rescue her. But when she saw him fall, and get up again without hope of reaching her, she began to whimper with fear.