an innocent merchantman fleeing from two pirates make a harder exertion
than did Charlie to get away from Tim and Bob. They gained on him, though,
rapidly.

"There they come," thought Charlie, giving one look back at the dirty,
saucy buccaneers. Tim had now reached the middle of the little pond when a
thing greatly in his favor proved to be a serious thing against him, and
that was the strength of his push. The fastenings of the log-raft were not
equal to any violent pressure upon them, and suddenly they gave way and
the logs separated. Tim's legs separated with them till they could part no
farther, and then he tried to spring from one log to the other. Alas for
him, he put his foot in the wrong place, and that wrong place was the
water! Down he went into as thorough a bath as ever a young rascal got in
this world. The water was not over his head, and he was soon on his feet,
but the dip had been complete enough to satisfy the most vindictive
members of the Up-the-Ladder Club, and Tim was spitting and sputtering,
then spitting and sputtering again, trying to clear month, eyes, nose,
ears, of the unwelcome, dirty ditch-water.

"Give--us--a--hand, Bob," he gasped.

Charlie did not stay to see any further developments, but pushed for the
shore, safely reaching it, and then made his way to the fence, climbing it
and gaining the wood-lot. In the meantime, the other members of the club
had halted and were consulting together. It was Juggie who arrested their
flight. "It is too bad," he said, "to leave Charlie."

That remark detained Billy, and then Sid, Wort, and Pip stopped.

Sid laughed and said, "My father has been in the army and he would call