ok! I know just where he lies. Look!"

Russ had rolled his shirtsleeve up to his shoulder. He balanced himself
on the log, his head and shoulders overhanging the brown water. Suddenly
he made a dive with his right hand. Even his head touched the water, he
dipped so deep, and his cap went floating away.

And, wonderful to relate, his hand did seize upon the catfish. Perhaps
the fish had been asleep down there by the edge of the imbedded stone.
At any rate it was not quick enough to escape Russ Bunker's darting
hand.

"I got it!" yelled Russ, in delight.

He tried to seize fast hold upon the body of the catfish, but the fish
shot forward with a wriggle that slapped its tail against Russ's hand.
Russ plunged forward, trying to hold it.

"I--guess--he's--a--butter--fish!" he gasped. "He's so slippery----"

And then, losing his balance on the log, Russ Bunker fell right into the
deep pool with splash enough to frighten all the fishes for yards
around!

CHAPTER XIV

MAMMY JUNE HELPS

Of course, Russ Bunker should not have done it. He was always ready to
try new things and wasn't much afraid of anything that turned up. But
trying to catch a big catfish with his hands was ridiculous.

Perhaps he realized this when he fell off the log into the stream; but
it was too late then to know how foolish it was.

The chorus of screams from the children on the bank was the first
announcement that Mammy June had of the mischief that was afoot. The
colored children shouted and Frane, Junior, ran right off the log and
came screaming to the cabin:

"He's gone down! He's gone down!"

"What is the matter with you, Frane?" demanded the old woman, coming
heavily down off the porch. "Who's gone down? Wha's he gone down to?"

"Russ has gone down," announced Frane. "He's gone down after the
catfish."

"Lawsy me!" exclaimed Mammy June. "Is that li'le boy got into the
branch?"

Rose and Vi and Laddie and Margy and Mun Bun, as well as the two
Armatage girls, all came running, too. For the first minute none of them
understood what had happened to Russ.

But when they reached the bank of the stream they saw something
splashing in the middle of the pool under the bridge. They couldn't see
Russ, but they knew that something was struggling there.

"Is that a fish?" demanded Laddie. "It must be a whale."

"Oh!" shrieked Rose. "It's Russ! He'll be drowned!"

"Don't let him get wet, Rose," cried Margy. "Mother won't want him t