Chapter 7

ICE COLD WATERS

"Fire! Fire! Wake up, everybody! Help! Help!"

So Brad was shouting at the top of his lusty young voice. Such an upheaval as his thrilling cries brought about in the three tents! Every one of the sixteen inmates scrambled out from under the blanket in which he had been so snugly rolled.

They came flocking out just as they were, some in pajamas, others in all sorts of apparel suited to sleeping; and not a few about half disrobed, they having failed to provide for the night time.

Nobody needed to ask any questions, because they had eyes, and could easily see what was the matter.

A fire was blazing in the pile of dead stuff over near where the new boat lay. The sight gave every fellow a sensation of dread; for he naturally thought of what a disaster it would be should the racing craft be injured or destroyed.

"Save the boat, fellows!" shouted Fred, who seemed to be able to keep his wits about him better than most of the others.

"Yes, rush in, and get hold of her!" added Brad. "I don't believe she's been hurt yet. This way, boys! Everybody help!"

There was at least no lack of volunteers. It seemed as though everybody felt anxious to have a hand in saving the boat, for there was a concerted rush on the part of all.

One or two tripped, and fell down in their haste. Others stubbed their toes on stones or roots, and doubled up, groaning with pain. But all of a dozen managed to reach the vicinity of the shell, which rested there so dangerously close to the roaring blaze.

"Take hold, all that can!" called Fred, as he himself clutched one of the out-riggers, and made ready to lift. "All ready now? Yo heave 'o! and away we go! That's the way to do it, boys! We've saved our boat, and don't you forget it!"

With lusty cheers they carried the frail craft to a place of safety, each fellow proud to be counted among the savers.

"Bully for us!" cried Colon, who was limping around as if he had struck his foot against something hard.

"But look here, fellows, hurry and get some shoes on," Fred continued. "We've got to put that fire out, or it may spread. Anyhow, it'll make our camp a tough place if we let it burn itself out."

Several who had been wise enough to pull on their shoes before starting out at once volunteered to get busy under Brad; and the balance hurried to the tents to provide themselves with foot covering.

There were a couple of buckets in the camp, and these were immediately pressed into service by the enthusiastic young fire-fighters. One fellow stood down by the river, and dipped each bucket in as it came back empty. Then in turn it was relayed along from hand to hand, until finally either Brad or Fred received it.

They used their judgment as to where the water was to be thrown, and with such good results that after a short time it was seen that the fire did not burn so brilliantly as before.

"Hurrah! fellows, we're doing the business, all right!" shouted Corney, who had been working like an industrious beaver all the time.

"It's dying out, and that's a fact!" cried Colon, the one who dipped up the water at the other end of the line. "Getting much darker down here. About time, too, I reckon, because I've just about emptied the whole river!"

"Oh! quit your grumbling, Colon!" called out Sid, who was just above the bank, receiving each bucket that the tall boy reached up to him. "We ought to be sending up a regular chorus because we saved our boat."

"Don't believe for a minute that I'm growling, Sid," the long-legged Colon gasped, for he began to feel winded by his exertion. "I'm only bothered for fear there won't be enough river left for that boat race to be pulled off."

"Plenty more coming from above, Colon; so brace up. Perhaps it'll rain cats and dogs before the race comes off, and the river be bank full," and Dave Hanshaw tossed an empty bucket down to the boy at the brink of the stream.

"A few more and we can let up, boys!" came the cheering news from Brad, who, being close to the burning brush, ought to know.

And indeed, it did suddenly become gloomy as the fire failed to find any more dry fuel to feed upon, so that it gasped fitfully, and threatened to go out entirely.

So, presently, there was no further need of exertion on the part of the now weary passers of water; and the boys began to gather around their own blaze, which some one had rekindled with fresh wood.

Some of them were wet, and all more or less chilly after giving up their exertions; so that they were glad to gather around the fire, with coats on, or blankets thrown over their shoulders.

Sleep, for the time being, had been utterly banished from their eyes; for one and all were desirous of comparing notes as to the origin of the furious fire.

"Was it the work of some sneak, who wanted to burn our boat, Brad?" asked Dick Hendricks.

"That's hard to say, Dick," was the reply. "I'd hate to think anybody could be so mean as to want to do that."

"Huh! we happen to know one feller who wouldn't stop a minute," remarked Corney.

"There's another possibility that none of you seems to have thought of," said Fred, breaking in just then.

"What's that, Fred?" demanded Brad, turning toward the speaker, quickly.

"Why, perhaps it was an accident, after all," observed Fred.

"An accident!" echoed Colon.

"Well, _something_ started that fire, we all know that," Fred went on, resolutely. "It never caught from a spark that came from the camp blaze, because in the first place there hasn't been a single spark flying for several hours; and then again you want to notice that the wind is right from the opposite quarter."

"Then how could it catch by accident, I want to know?" asked Dave Hanshaw.

"I'm on," sang out Sid. "He means Colon!"

All eyes were instantly turned on the tall boy.

"Well, I did throw that torch at the cow; I admit that much, fellows," he began; "but don't tell me it just kept on smouldering all this time in that brush heap, to take fire after everybody'd gone to sleep! Why, it must have been all of five hours ago. Shucks! you can't prove it; and I won't admit a single thing."

"Well, it might have happened; and that's as near as we'll ever get to finding out the truth," said Fred.

When they had talked it all over they began to feel sleepy once more; and one by one again crawled into the tents. There was no further alarm, and morning came to arouse the camp of the boat club.

The day promised to be a beautiful one, but rather sultry. Indeed, even in the early morning the waters of the Mohunk looked inviting to the boys, so that as they came out of the tents they made a bee-line for the bank, to plunge in.

Soon there was a great splashing and shouting, such as a dozen and more boys in swimming alone can produce. Bristles, remembering a promise he had made to himself, pursued his lessons diligently, and was making splendid progress, so that he began to grow quite encouraged.

"I'll be a swimmer right away," he told Fred, as the two of them sat on the bank rubbing down, after coming from the water. "I'm getting to have confidence in myself, Fred, and already I went more'n twenty feet without touching bottom."

"Good for you, Bristles; I said you had it in you to make a swimmer, if only you'd keep everlastingly at it. Every boy who goes on the water, either in a boat, or to skate, ought to know how to swim. It may save his life, or the life of a chum some day. But those fellows ought to come out, or they'll get blue around their lips, for the water is icy cold. Colon looked shivery the last time he was up on the bank for a high dive!"

"There he is now, swimming across the river again, Fred. He ought not to try that so often, seems to me. Why, look at him, will you; he's making believe he's got a cramp or something!"

Fred sprang to his feet excitedly, exclaiming:

"There's no make-believe about that, Bristles; Colon _has_ got a cramp, and right now he's in danger of drowning away out there in the middle of the river. Quick! fellows, to the rescue! Colon is drowning!"