and have more fun with us."

"Well, you forgot your supposed starvation, didn't you?" chuckled
Dick from his tree.

Two or three minutes later he swung down from the tree to the
ground, rapidly removing his clothing and donning swimming trunks.
He was not molested; the other five were too busy preparing for
the bath.

"The water's great to-day!" shouted Dick, rising and "blowing"
after a shallow dive from a tree trunk at the shore.

In a moment they were all in the water.

"Come on! Follow your leader!" shouted Tom Reade, striking out
lustily upstream.

"Come back and give us a handicap!" roared Dave. "How do you
expect us to catch you when you get the lead over us with your
long legs and arms?"

But Tom dived under water, swimming there. The others followed
suit, each remaining under as long as possible, for, in this "stunt,"
there was no way of knowing when the leader came up. Tom remained
under less than fifteen seconds. Then, showing his head, and
with rapid overhand strokes he made for the nearer bank, slipping
ashore and hiding behind some bushes.

It was Hazy who had to come up first after Tom.