Tom and I got out of our few garments in short order. I was the quickest and beat Jim to the water by about five feet as I splashed in. It made me yell.
"Gosh, but she's cold," I cried, making the water fly as I plunged under.
"Gee whiz," yelled Tom, as he stepped gingerly in. "I should say it was cold. Talk about ice water!"
"Don't talk! get under!" cried Jim.
And he gave Tom a tremendous shove in the back that sent him with a sprawling splash into the water. Tom sputtered angrily and Jim soused him under.
There was a big rock out a ways on the edge of the current. It was a great wedge rock of granite, ten feet broad and twenty-five feet in length.
"I dare you to swim out there," challenged Jim.
"All right," I assented.
I was really a fine swimmer, better than Jim, though not so daring. This was a dangerous proposition. Jim went first, going up stream a ways, then he sprang out into the river.
In a minute we saw what a foolhardy attempt it was. The current caught him and sped him along like a straw. We could see his black head as it bobbed along down stream, now and then submerged by a wave that seemed to us a mere ripple.