Joe's head. For a third time our hero dodged, but the oar struck him on
the arm, and the blow hurt not a little.

Joe was now angry and believed it was time to defend himself. He edged
towards the end of the dock and Sam Cullum followed. Then, of a sudden
the boy ducked under the man's arm, turned, and gave him a quick shove
that sent him with a splash into the lake.

"Hurrah! score one for Joe!"

"That will cool Sam Cullum's temper."

"Yes, and perhaps it will sober him a little," came from a man standing
by, who had witnessed the quarrel from the beginning. "He brought this
on himself; the boy had nothing to do with it."

Sam Cullum floundered around in the water like a whale cast up in the
shallows. The lake at that point was not over four feet deep, but he did
not know enough to stand upright.

"Save me!" he bellowed. "Save me! I don't want to drown!"

"Swallow a little water, it will do you good!" said a bystander, with a
laugh.

"Walk out and you'll be all right," added another.

At last Sam Cullum found his feet and walked around the side of the dock
to the shore. A crowd followed him and kept him from going at Joe again.