Phil, you'd be up to your neck at the start. Let's tie a rope under your
arms first, anyhow."

But Paul quickly put an end to all this sort of talk.

"There's no use trying anything like that," he said. "Even if you did
reach the shore, we haven't got a rope long and strong enough to do the
business. Besides, we may have help soon."

With that all the boys began craning their necks, as if they expected to
see some kind of a queer craft that could pass over mud as easily as
other boats did water, bearing down on them, with the design of dragging
them from the bank,

"Say, what does he mean? For the life of me I can't glimpse anything
worth shucks; and the blooming old _Speedwell_ seems to be sticking tight
and fast, just the same way we are. Loosen up, Paul, and put us wise;
won't you?" pleaded Phil.

"I didn't mean that any living thing was going to hold out a hand to
us," remarked the smiling scout master; "but look aloft, boys, and see
what's coming."

With that they followed his instructions.

A general shout went up.

"Whee! rain a-comin' down on us! Get the curtains ready to button fast,
boys, or we'll have all our fine stuff soaked through and through."
Little Billie called, himself setting things in motion by seizing one of