CHAPTER XIV--FUN IN THE SURF

The next morning the boys learned that the tourists had decided to leave on the following day. Mrs. Fennington, Herbert's mother, had decided to stay at Ocean Point and "take care of the boys and her girls," she said. All that day there was great excitement and bustle of packing, and by evening all was ready for the tourists' departure. Everybody went to bed early that evening, as they intended to get the early train to Clintonia, whence they were to go direct to Washington.

Everything went according to schedule, the boys going down to the station with their parents to see them off. Many were the injunctions laid on the boys to "be careful" and "not to swim out too far." This was duly promised, although the boys prudently forebore to say just what they considered "too far." Anything less than a mile was all right, as they figured it.

At last the train pulled out, and after it was lost to view around a curve the boys took their way rather more quietly than usual back to the bungalows, which seemed to them to wear a rather forlorn and deserted air. But their usual good spirits soon asserted themselves, and they began to plan what they should do for the rest of the day.

"It's a swell day for a swim," said Bob. "Let's jump into our bathing suits and fool the hot weather."

"I'll never say no to a swim," said Jimmy. "It seems to me that all I do all summer is melt and sizzle except when I can get into the ocean. That's about the only time I feel comfortable."

"A swim it is, then," said Joe. "And the last one down to the beach gets thrown in by the others."

There was a mad scramble as the boys rushed into their respective bungalows and changed from regular clothes to bathing suits. Articles of clothing flew in every direction, and in an incredibly short space of time Joe emerged, followed closely by Bob, and they set off at an easy pace for the beach, looking backward from time to time to see if the others were coming. Jimmy was the next to emerge, and he started off with head down and hands and feet flying, evidently determined not to be the last this time.

But he had hardly started when Herbert came bursting out of the door and made after his corpulent friend. But Jimmy had gained quite a lead, and it was hard to predict which would be the last to the beach and therefore subject to a thorough ducking at the hands of his friends.

Bob and Joe were so far in the lead that they were in no danger, and they enjoyed the race between Jimmy and Herb immensely.

"They say an elephant can run fast, and Jimmy's just like one," said Joe. "He's certainly putting his heart into it. Which do you think will win, Bob?"

"It's hard to tell," laughed Bob. "But if Jimmy loses he'll be so hot that he won't mind being ducked, so it will be all right anyway."

They were all close to the beach now and Herb was fast catching up with Jimmy, who was making heavy weather of it in the deep sand. Herb kept gaining. He was not three feet back of Jimmy when suddenly the latter stumbled and fell. Herb was so close to him that he had no time to stop or swerve, and he tripped over his prostrate companion and went sprawling. Like a flash Jimmy was on his feet again, and before Herb could recover from his fall and get started again, Jimmy had reached the edge of the water, where Bob and Joe were already waiting.

Herb came along a few seconds later, primed for an argument.

"You tripped me up on purpose, Jimmy," he accused, when he could get his breath. "That was nothing but a trick."

"You bet it was a trick, and a mighty good one, too," said Jimmy. "It saved me a ducking, anyway. You'd better get ready to take your medicine."

"Jimmy's right," ruled Bob. "Come on, fellows."

With one accord the other three rushed on the unfortunate Herb, cutting short his vehement protests. Seizing him by the hands and feet, they lugged him out until the water was three feet or so deep, and then, swinging him back and forth a few times like a pendulum, they threw him with a resounding splash into the crest of an incoming breaker.

Herb struggled to the surface in a few seconds, puffing and sputtering.

"Aw, I don't care!" he shouted. "I was going in anyway, so you just saved me the trouble of walking in. So long! I'm going to swim to Boston!"

But he did not get very far on this extended journey, for the surf was so high that day that the boys were content to spend their time diving into the big combers and letting themselves be carried shoreward by the big waves. After they had had enough of this, they went up on the beach and played ball with a cork surf ball that Bob had brought with him.

"This beats digging away in school, by a long sight," said Jimmy. "Next winter when we're working away like real good boys, we can think of this and wish we were back here."

"Not on your life!" said Joe. "This place is very nifty now, but there's nothing more cold looking than a beach in winter."

"Oh, well, you know what I mean, you big prune," said Jimmy. "We'll wish it were summer and we were back here. It's just as easy to wish for two things as it is for one."

"Who's a big prune?" demanded Joe. "Did you hear that insult, Bob? What shall I do to him?"

"Make him lie down in the sand and roll over," replied Bob, grinning. "You can't let him call you a prune, even if you are one."

"That's what I'll make him do," said Joe, ignoring this last thrust, and he went after Jimmy.

But that individual did not wait his coming, but meekly lay down on the sand and rolled over in most approved fashion.

"Want me to do it again?" he asked Joe. "Anything to make you happy, you know."

"Once is enough," said Joe. "That means that you're sorry and apologize, you know."

"Like fun it does!" said Jimmy. "I just did that because it was less trouble than throwing you into the drink, and, besides, I was afraid of hurting you."

"Oh, I see," said Joe. "But don't let that stop you, Doughnuts. I'll take a chance of getting hurt."

"No, I guess I'll stay here," said Jimmy, gazing placidly up at the blue sky. "Please don't bother me any more. Make him stop bothering me, Bob."

Joe picked up a double handful of heavy wet sand and dropped it squarely on Jimmy's rotund body.

"Let's see you make me stop, Bob," he called, as Jimmy emitted an outraged howl.

Bob was not slow to accept the challenge, and made a flying leap for Joe. The sand flew as they wrestled back and forth, each one striving to throw the other. Finally both went down with a thud, and Bob managed to land on top. Laughing, the two friends scrambled to their feet and dug the sand out of their eyes and ears.

"Thanks, Bob," said Jimmy. "You landed on him almost as hard as that sand landed on me, so we're quits. Before anything else happens to me, I'm going home and get something to eat, so as to have strength to stand it. You fellows may not know it's pretty near dinner time, but I do."

Thus reminded, all the boys suddenly discovered that they were hungry, and they started for home, after taking one more dip to wash the sand off.

"Do you know," said Bob, as they started off, "Mr. Harvey told me the other day that we could borrow his motor boat any time we wanted it and he wasn't going to use it? What do you say if we try and get it to-morrow and take a little cruise?"

This proposal met with instant favor, and that evening the boys planned to leave immediately after breakfast the next morning and try to borrow the motor boat from their new friend at the radio station.