"I can't wait here till he comes," cried Harry. "Haven't you a rope and
some boards to make a raft?"

"Lor', no! Mah'sr Harry. I got no boards."

"Tell ye what ye do, dar," shouted the biggest boy, a woolly-heady
urchin, with nothing on but a big pair of trousers that came up under
his arms and were fastened over his shoulders by two bits of string,
"jist you come on dis side and jump down, an' slosh ashore."

"It's too deep," cried Harry.

"No, 'tain't," said the boy. "I sloshed out to dat tree dis mornin'."

"You did, you Pomp!" cried his mother. "Oh! I'll lick ye fur dat, when I
git a-hold of ye!"

"Did you, really?" cried Harry.

"Yes, I did," shouted the undaunted Pomp. "I sloshed out dar an' back
agin."

"But the water's higher now," said Harry.

"No, 'tain't," said the woman. "Tain't riz much dis mornin'. Done all de
risin' las' night. Dat tree's jist on de edge of de creek bank. If Pomp
could git along dar, you kin, Mah'sr Harry! Did ye go out dar, sure
'nuff, you Pomp? Mind, if ye didn't, I'll lick ye!"