out of the water. There are hundreds of us here, so our united strength
could lift much more than that."

"But I can't tie a string to him," replied the Scarecrow. "My straw is
so light that I am unable to dive through the water. I've tried it, and
knocked one eye out."

"Can't you fish for him?"

"Ah, that is a good idea," said the Scarecrow. "I'll make the attempt."

He found a fishline in the boat, with a stout hook at the end of it. No
bait was needed, so the Scarecrow dropped the hook into the water till
it touched the Woodman.

"Hook it into a joint," advised the crow, who was now perched upon a
branch that stuck far out and bent down over the water.

The Scarecrow tried to do this, but having only one eye he could not see
the joints very clearly.

"Hurry up, please," begged the Tin Woodman; "you've no idea how damp it
is down here."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

"Can't you help?" asked the crow.

"How?" inquired the tin man.

"Catch the line and hook it around your neck."

The Tin Woodman made the attempt and after several trials wound the line
around his neck and hooked it securely.

"Good!" cried the King Crow, a mischievous old fellow. "Now, then, we'll
all grab the line and pull you out."

At once the air was filled with black crows, each of whom seized the
cord with beak or talons. The Scarecrow watched them with much interest
and forgot that he had tied the other end of the line around his own
waist, so he would not lose it while fishing for his friend.

"All together for the good caws!" shrieked the King Crow, and with a
great flapping of wings the birds rose into the air.

The Scarecrow clapped his stuffed hands in glee as he saw his friend
drawn from the water into the air; but the next moment the straw man was
himself in the air, his stuffed legs kicking wildly; for the crows had
flown straight up through the trees. On one end of the line dangled the
Tin Woodman, hung by the neck, and on the other dangled the Scarecrow,
hung by the waist and clinging fast to the spare anchor of the boat,
which he had seized hoping to save himself.

"Hi, there--be careful!" shouted the Scarecrow to the crows. "Don't take
us so high. Land us on the river bank."

[Illustration]

But the crows were bent on mischief. They thought it a good joke to
bother the two, now that they held them captive.

"Here's where the crows scare the Scarecrow!" chuckled the naughty King
Crow, and at his command