The Sea Scouts were crossing the Long Bridges, rather more than half-way to Iffley, when Peter Stratton noticed a couple of Canadian canoes drifting side by side. In one was a man in boating flannels, holding an animated but one-sided conversation with a lady, in the other.
Even as the Patrol-leader glanced in that direction, he saw to his astonishment the man stand upright in the frail craft and aim a terrific blow with his paddle at the lady.
Attracted by Stratton's exclamation, the other Sea Scouts saw the rest of the affair. The canoe containing the lady toppled completely over, while the perpetrator of the cowardly deed paddled off as hard as he could go, leaving his victim apparently stunned and floating face upwards in the water.
Already Stratton was sprinting along the tow-path as quickly as possible, until he reached a spot abreast of the scene of the outrage. Then, without waiting to kick off his shoes, he waded in and struck out towards the victim.
"Hi! hi! you! Come back out of that!" shouted a bull-throated fellow who had suddenly appeared from behind a clump of bushes.
Stratton paid not the slightest heed to the peremptory mandate, but continued to strike out with powerful breast-strokes towards the object of his attention. Evidently, he decided, the man was an accomplice. His fellow Sea Scouts would deal with him.
At length, after a strenuous effort, for swimming in his clothes was a fatiguing business, Peter reached the motionless woman.
"Well, I'm blowed!" he ejaculated in utter disgust, and turned to swim back to the bank.
Meanwhile, Mr. Armitage and the rest of the Patrol were "having it out" with the bull-throated individual, although at the same time the Scoutmaster kept a watchful eye on the swimmer.
"You've spoilt the reel," declared the man. "Couldn't you tumble to it that we were making cinematograph pictures?"