Endurance Test Part 6

The third time Elmer looked it was perhaps an hour after Adam had started fis.h.i.+ng, and he saw that a change had come over the manner of the young Teuton. He was no longer casting out again and again with a great splas.h.i.+ng of the water. On the contrary, he sat astride the tree trunk that jutted out some eight feet above the water. His line ran downstream and the float could be seen bobbing in the midst of the little bubbles that marked an eddy below.

Elmer watched him closely for five minutes, and not once in all that time did he see the other move in the least.

"Well, I declare, I believe the fellow's gone to sleep!" he laughed. "I reckon Adam isn't used to camping out, and on that account he's had poor rest these two nights. And that hot sun is enough to make any fellow feel drowsy, too. Whew, what if he nodded too hard and just dropped off there! Perhaps I'd better go and wake him up. And while I'm about it I can just give him a few pointers as to how he'll have at least a decent chance to coax a few ba.s.s to his bait."

Filled with this feeling of comradery toward the new recruit, whom he was fast learning to like because of his constant good-nature and really witty remarks, Elmer started away from the camp.

It just chanced that instead of heading directly for Adam, he walked first of all out to the river bank. Looking downstream he could just see Ted busily engaged in landing a fish that seemed to be fighting hard, and this told that the ba.s.s were "on the feed," if only one knew how to attract them.

The idea of that sleepy Adam dozing there and letting the golden harvest time slip by unheeded made Elmer laugh again. He even allowed himself to imagine that it would just about pay Adam right if he crept up and gave his line a sudden tug, to make him think he had a bite.

Just then something moving attracted his attention. It was directly below the boy who sat astraddle of the projecting log, and a little farther downstream.

Ty, why of course it was that party, though minus his distinguis.h.i.+ng red sweater, which was now, alas, no more. But what under the sun was he doing there? As near as Elmer could see he appeared to be industriously attaching some bulky object to the end of a line!

All at once what seemed to be the truth burst upon the patrol leader. Ty had also noticed the sleeping Dutchman, and was bent upon having a little joke at the expense of Adam. Yes, he had managed to draw the line of the fisherman in, by the aid of a long stick that had a crotch at the end, and was now fastening a bunch of hemlock browse, done up to represent a big fish, to the end of the same.

When all was ready and the current pulled strongly at the bulky object, possibly the additional strain might arouse Adam, who would immediately think he had hooked a monster ba.s.s, and doubtless the ensuing excitement would tickle the joker to the top of his bent.

And if Adam did not wake up himself, it would be easy for Ty to creep under the projecting log until he could reach out and give the line a jerk.

So Elmer concluded that he might as well wait and see the fun. Being a boy himself, he liked anything that partook of clean sport, so long as the joke did not border along the cruel or mean stage.

Now Ty had dropped his artificial fish back into the river. The swift current that ran farther out did not seize upon it at once, for there was an eddy and a rather deep pool at the spot Adam had selected for his fis.h.i.+ng. Consequently the pull upon the line did not seem to come up to the expectations of the joker.

Ty crouched there waiting for results.

The minutes pa.s.sed and all remained peaceful and serene. Adam seemed to be enjoying a lovely sleep. His head was upon his chest and his whole figure appeared to be in a relaxed state.

Twice did Ty rise up to stare at the boy who sat there straddling that log, as though he wondered why Adam did not arouse to the occasion.

Plainly, the practical joker would have had his labor for his pains unless something was done to start things moving.

The third time Ty seemed to come to this conclusion himself, for instead of merely observing the sleeping fisherman he started to advance toward him.

At this point the bank of the river was hollowed out somewhat. There was just about enough footing below for an agile boy to clamber along and keep from being precipitated into the water.

Elmer chuckled quietly.

"It's coming," he said to himself, as he prepared to see more or less excitement around that region. "Looks like Adam might be due to a little surprise party."

Ty had finally managed to crawl far enough along the narrow ledge. He was apparently directly below the log that stuck out from the bank above him. Elmer judged this by the way the other craned his neck in order to look up.

"Now he's got his chance, if he can only reach that dangling line!" he thought.

Apparently Ty realized the same thing, for he was seen to be extending that same crotched stick that had before proven so useful.

In this fas.h.i.+on he speedily drew the line in toward him, gently, so as not to arouse the fisherman before he was ready to give him a good hard shock.

"Pull up the curtain, the stage is all ready!" Elmer said to himself, as he kept close watch on the movements of the boy below.

He could see Ty taking a firm grip on the dangling line as though he meant to have it no halfway affair.

"Now, go!" exclaimed the watcher.

Just as though Ty might have been waiting for some such order, he was seen to suddenly tighten his hold, and then give a tremendous jerk, that was surely calculated to make Adam believe the champion ba.s.s of the Sweet.w.a.ter had taken his bait and gorged it.

Then something happened, something that doubtless the practical joker crouching below had not antic.i.p.ated as a result of his prank.

Adam seemed to suddenly awaken. He was evidently greatly excited, and as he made a wild clutch at the b.u.t.t of his rod, which had been partly jerked out of his grasp by the violence of that bite, he just naturally lost his seat on the log.

Elmer saw him gracefully slide around the trunk of the fallen tree and go down with arms and legs sprawled out like an immense frog. And, strange to say, as he dropped his extended arms seemed to suddenly clasp Ty in their embrace, for both of them went headlong into the river with a tremendous splas.h.!.+

CHAPTER VI.

STRANGE SOUNDS FROM THE WATER.

"ADAM did that on purpose!" was what Elmer exclaimed, as he saw how the arms of the falling German boy pulled Ty with him into the pool under the log.

That great splash was surely enough to frighten away any ba.s.s that might even have had the hardihood to remain around, after the vigorous thres.h.i.+ng of the water by the greenhorn fisherman.

Of course the two boys immediately came to the surface. Ty was spouting water like a young whale; but Adam seemed to be all right. He made a few strokes after his original fas.h.i.+on, that had so aroused the admiration of Landy, and arriving at the bank, climbed up.

Ty made a great deal more fuss as he churned his way to the sh.o.r.e; and Elmer, who had hastened up so as to witness what followed, could see that there was a look of wonder, almost awe, on the face of the practical joker. The results had been so sudden, and so disastrous to himself, that he could hardly understand just what had happened.

"Ach! put dot vas sooch a surprises to me, Ty," remarked Adam, from the sh.o.r.e; "I d.i.n.ks me I haf ketch de biggest fish in der river; undt ven I throw oudt mine arms to pull him in, py c.h.i.n.ks, it vas only you, having some fun py me. How goes it, londsman; I hopes you enchoy yourself mooch. Subbose you go pack, undt get my fis.h.i.+ng pole, vich is floating down der stream."

He gave Ty a push as the other tried to clamber out on the bank and forced him in again. The other showed signs of fight until Elmer, sizing up the situation, called out:

"That's only fair, Ty; you made him lose his rod, as well as take a ducking with his clothes on. Get the rod again, and let him pull in his fish."

Possibly Ty realized the justice of this claim; or it might be he felt disposed to take his medicine gracefully, for with a laugh he swam out again, as well as he was able with his garments clinging to his limbs, secured the rod, which had partly sunk, and came back with it in one hand.

As if to prove that he harbored no animosity, Adam frankly stretched out his hand and helped Ty ash.o.r.e. There they stood, dripping wet, and laughing at each other.

"Oxcuse me, Ty," said the German lad, making a queer face; "put I haf to laugh, it is so funny! You d.i.n.ks to make me some droubles, and by s.h.i.+miny you fall indo de same hole yourself. So, dere is two of us!"

"The joke is on Ty," announced Elmer. "I saw the whole thing, and I want Adam to own up right now that he had one eye open all the while, and was watching what was going on."

Adam looked up at him with a leer on his square face; then he shut one eye and deliberately winked at Elmer.

"I subbose dot I vas nodt so much asleep as somepody pelieves," he said; and that was the only confession they could get out of him.

Fortunately, as the weather was so very warm, there was no danger of either of the boys taking cold after their ducking. Neither of them would bother changing their garments, or attempting to dry those they had on.

"Let 'em dry on me," said Ty, whose good-nature had returned, though he declared that everything had conspired to upset all his calculations that morning; what with the obstinate bull, and now the clumsy Dutchman who had to throw out his arm and pull him into the river along with himself.