A NEVER-TO-BE-FORGOTTEN SWIM
"I've got him fast! Help! Help!"
"Tom's caught the bear!" shouted Sam. "Can you hold him, Tom?"
"I guess I can if some of you will help me!" panted the youth.
"Hurry up!"
Sam and Dick were on the stairs, but now both ran to their
brother's assistance, and all three pushed upon the door with all
of their strength.
The barrier groaned and creaked and it looked as if at any
instant it would burst from its hinges.
"Gracious, we can't hold him very long!" gasped Sam. "Can't
somebody hit the animal with a club?"
"I reckon I can do dat!" shouted one of the hostlers, and caught
up an ax-handle which stood in one corner. As he approached the
bear, the beast uttered a roar of commingled rage and fear, and
this was so terrorizing to the colored man that he dropped the
ax-handle and ran for his very life.
"Come back here!" cried Tom.
"Can't do it, boss; he's gwine ter chew me up!" howled the
hostler.
"Hold the door--I'll hit him," put in Sam and he picked up the
ax-handle. Stepping forward, struck out heavily, and the bear dropped
in a heap, completely dazed and more than half choked to death.
By this time the Italian was again at hand. In one pocket he carried a
thin but strong line, in a twinkle he had tied one fore and one hind
leg together, so that the bear, when he got up again, could do little
but hobble along. Then from another pocket he drew a leather muzzle,
which he buckled over the beast's head. But the bear had had all of
the ugliness knocked out him and was once more as docile as ever.
"Tom," whispered Dick. "I guess the best we can do is to get out
of this place. If folks discover the trick you played, they'll
mob you."
"I guess you're right. But who'll settle our bill?"
"I'll do that," said Sam. "They know I wasn't near the bear when
the rumpus started."
So it was agreed, and while Tom and Dick left the hotel grounds. Sam
strolled into the office to pay their bill. It was some time before
the clerk came to wait on him.
"Say, I believe, your brother started this kick-up," observed the
clerk.
"What?" demanded Sam, in pretended astonishment.
"I say, I think he started this kick-up."
"What kick-up?"
"The one with the bear, of course."
"Why, my brothers helped to catch the beast."
"I know that; but one of 'em started it. What do you want?"
"I want to pay our bill. How much is it?"
"Going to leave?"
"Yes."
"Think you had better, eh?"
"We only hired our room until this noon." Sam drew himself up.
"If you want your pay you be civil."
"Yes, but--" The clerk broke off short. "That will be six
dollars, please."
"All right, there you are," and Sam shoved the bills over. "Now don't
say we created a muss or I'll report you to the proprietor."
"Yes, but see here--"
"I've not got my glasses just now. Good-by, and--"
"That man hasn't got his monkeys yet, and--"
"What's that to you? Are you afraid the proprietor will put one
of 'em in here in your place?" And before the clerk could say
another word Sam ran off and joined his brothers at the river
bank.
Soon the three reached the dock where the _Spray_ lay undergoing
repairs. The deaf man was just finishing his work.
"She'll be about as good as ever," he said, in reply to Dick's
question. "She's a fine boat."
"I guess he says that of every boat that brings him in a job,"
murmured Sam. "Come on."
He went aboard and the others followed. Dan Haskett was paid
off, the mainsail was hoisted, and once more they stood up the
river in the direction of the State capital. It was their
intention to spend two days in Albany and then return to New York
with the yacht. This would wind up their vacation, for Putnam
Hall was to open on the following Monday.
The day proved an ideal one, but the wind was light and the yacht
scarcely moved even with the mainsail and jib set to their
fullest. This being so, the boys got out their fishing lines and
spent an hour in trolling, and succeeded in catching several
fair-sized fish.
"We'll have to cook our own dinner," remarked Dick. "Tom, since
you did us out of our meal at the hotel I reckon you are the one
to fall in for this work."
At this Tom cut a wry face, but still, seeing the justice of his
elder brother's remark, he went at the dinner-getting with a
will. The yacht boasted a kerosene stove, and over this he set
fish to frying and a pot of potatoes to boiling. As the river
was calm and the yacht steady the little stove worked very well.
They were still out of sight of Albany when the midday meal was
pronounced ready. In addition to the articles already mentioned,
they had coffee, bread and butter, and what was left of a
cocoanut pie purchased the day previous. The boys were all
hearty eaters, and the food disappeared as if by magic.
After dinner the breeze died out utterly, and Sam proposed that
they cast anchor close to shore and take a swim. The others were
willing, and soon they had disrobed and donned their bathing
trunks and were sporting in the water to their hearts' content.
The water was somewhat colder than they had anticipated, and the
effect upon Sam was disastrous. The youngest Rover had eaten
more heartily than either of his brothers and this made him sick
at the stomach. However, as he did not wish to alarm Dick and
Tom and so spoil their fun, he said nothing about his condition.
"Let us race each other," suggested Tom, and started off up the
shore, with Dick close beside him. Sam brought up in the rear,
but soon gave up the contest.
"Help!" The single cry reached the ears of Tom and Dick when
they were fully a hundred feet from the _Spray_. Both turned just
in time to behold Sam throw up his arms and sink from view.
"Great Caesar!" burst out Dick. "What can that mean?"
"Maybe he is only fooling," replied Tom. "Yet I wouldn't think he
would be so foolish."
"I don't think Sam is fooling," said Dick seriously, and at once
struck out to where the youngest Rover had gone down. Of course
Tom went with him.
To reach the spot was not an easy matter, and they were still
some distance away when they saw Sam come up again. Then there
was a wild circling of arms and the boy disappeared once more.
"He is drowning!" gasped Dick hoarsely.
"Come, we must save him, Tom!"
"Yes, yes," was the puffing answer, for Tom was swimming as never
before, and for a brief instant he remembered that awful
adventure Sam had had at Humpback Falls, the summer previous. At
that time the youngest Rover had nearly lost his life in the
water.
It was Dick who gained the spot first, just as Sam came up and
went down again--totally unconscious. Diving, the elder Rover
caught his brother around the chest, under the arms.
"Sam, Sam, what is it?" he questioned, and as no reply came back
his heart almost stopped beating. What if his brother was dead?
The agony of the thought was terrible beyond description.
"Can I help you?" The question came from Tom, who was now at the
side of the others.
"Catch hold of one arm, if you will," answered Dick. "He's a
dead weight."
"Oh!" The moan came so unexpectedly that both Tom and Dick were
amazed. Then of a sudden Sam opened his eyes and clutched Dick
by the throat. "Save me!"
Clearly the youngest Rover was out of his mind or he would not
have taken such a hold. As it was, Dick was nearly strangled and
had to unlock the fingers by sheer force. Then Sam grabbed him
again, and it looked as if both would go down to a watery grave.
But now Tom came to the rescue. Swimming up from behind, he
caught Sam first under one arm--and then under the other, in a
back-to-back fashion. Then he bent forward and began to tread
water, thus holding his brother's head well out of water.
"Push us ashore, Dick!" he panted, and understanding the movement
perfectly, the elder brother did as desired. Soon all three
gained a point from which Tom could wade to the river bank with
ease.
It was an anxious pair that bent over Sam, who rested on his back
with his eyes closed. But the youngest Rover was not allowed to
remain long in that position. Tom and Dick knew something of how
to handle a person who is nearly drowned, and they now made use
of this knowledge with all speed. Sam was rolled and hoisted up
by the ankles, and thus he got rid of a large quantity of the
water he had swallowed.
Yet even when he came to his senses he was too weak to walk, and
Tom had to bring the _Spray_ close to shore, and the sufferer had
to be carried on board, his brothers wading up to their waists
for that purpose.
"The first cramp I got was in the stomach," said Sam, when he
could talk. "Then it went all over me like an electric shock,
and I felt I was going to drown. What happened after that was
like some awful dream!" And he shuddered. It was a long while
before any of them got over that adventure.