When the teamster drove down to the bank of the canal, Tom and the Sharpe boys began to unload the boat. Harry stopped them. “There isn’t any use in taking the things out of the boat,” said he. “We can draw her out of the canal and put her on the wagon just as she is.”
“Her stern will dip under when we haul her bow out,” said Tom.
“No it won’t,” replied Harry.
“Let’s take the things out of the stern-sheets, anyhow,” urged Tom. “All our shoes are there, and we can’t afford to lose them.”
“Nothing will happen to them,” answered Harry, confidently. “It’s my boat, and I’m going to haul her out with the things in her.”
Tom said no more, but took hold of the bow of the boat with the others, and they began to pull her out of the water. As Tom had prophesied, when she was about half-way out her stern dipped under, the water poured in, and nearly everything in the after-part of the boat floated out. The harm was done now, so the boys hastily dragged the boat up the bank, and then began to lament their losses.
There was not a shoe left, except the shoes that Harry and Tom had put on when they went in search of the team. The mast and sail and two oars were floating on the water, and a quantity of small articles, including the tin frying-pans and a tin pail, had shared the fate of the shoes, and were lying at the bottom of the canal.
“It was my fault,” said Harry; “and I beg everybody’s pardon. I’ll strip and duck for the things till I find them.” So saying, he threw off his clothes and sprang into the canal. Joe, who was, next to Harry, the best swimmer of the party, followed his example; and a number of the villagers and “canalers” collected on the tow-path to watch the divers.
The canal was not more than eight feet deep, but the bottom was very muddy, and the boys had to feel about in the mud with their feet for the lost articles. They were very fortunate, and before long succeeded in recovering all the shoes, except one of Joe’s, and several other things. Meanwhile three women and half a dozen girls, all of whom lived on board the fleet of canal-boats that were lying near by, joined the spectators, and seemed to think that the whole business was a capital joke. Harry and Joe were now anxious to come out of the water; but they could not come ashore while the women and girls were there, so they swam some distance up the canal, and crept out behind a barn.
Meanwhile Tom and Jim were busily bailing out the boat, and arranging the wet things so that the sun could dry them. They were so busy that they forgot all about Harry and Joe. Presently Tom said, “Hark! I think I hear somebody calling.”