The boys did not pole their boat up stream for more than twenty minutes before they came to a place where the banks gave the Taponican room to spread itself. Of course the wider it spread what water it had, the thinner the water became.
Right in the middle of a sparkling field of gurgling ripples the Ark ran suddenly aground.
"Overboard, Quill!" shouted Mort. "Guess Columbus had to wade before he found much."
"Noah didn't."
"His ark had a roof on it."
"Shove her, now. There she goes."
Their trousers were rolled up about as high as they would go, and the water was not very cold. The Ark drew less when its entire crew was out of it.
"Ah! ugh! Crab."
"Nipped you, did he? Oh, phew! what a clam shell! Stepped right down on it. Catch your crab?"
"He let go. Can't see him. Didn't he give my heel a dig, though! They're the ugliest, sassiest—"