n instant's hesitation the two boys slid into the water with a
splash, but keeping tight hold on the pommels of their saddles.

"Let go the reins," directed Stallings. "The ponies know where to go."

Now the lads were being drawn rapidly through the water, and almost
before they knew it their feet rested on the bottom of the shallow
stream a short distance from the opposite bank.

"Hooray!" shouted Tad, waving his water-soaked sombrero. "Come in. The
water's great!"

"Come on, Chunky," called Ned.

"I'll wait and go over in the wagon," decided Chunky.

"You'll do nothing of the sort," snapped the foreman. "You will swim, if
you get over at all."

Professor Zepplin, not to be outdone by his young charges, bravely rode
his animal into the stream.

The boys set up a shout of glee when he, too, finally dropped into the
river with a great splash. Instead, however, of allowing the pony to tow
him, the Professor propelled himself along with long powerful strokes of
his left hand, while with the right he clung to the saddle pommel.

"Three cheers for Professor Zepplin!" cried Tad as the German, dripping
but smiling, emerged from the water and scrambled up the bank, leaving
his pony to follow along after him.

The cheers were given with a will.

Stacy Brown, however, was still on the other side with the straggling
cattle which were coming along in small bunches.

"Young man, if you expect to get in for supper, you'd better be fording
the stream," suggested Big-foot Sanders.

The mention of supper was all that Stacy needed to start him.

"Gid-ap!"

The pony slid down the bank on its haunches, Stacy leaning far back in
the saddle that he might not pitch over the animal's head.

"Chunky would make a good side hill rider, wouldn't he?" jeered Ned.

"Depends upon whether he were going up or down," decided Tad.

"Look out! There he goes!" exclaimed Walter.

The boy's mount had mired one foot in a quicksand pocket and had gone
down on its knees. But Chunky kept right on going.

He hit the water flat on his stomach, arms and legs outspread, clawing
and kicking desperately.

The fat boy opened his mouth to cry out for help.

As a result Stacy swallowed all the water that came his way. Floundering
about like a drowning steer, choking and coughing, he disappeared from
sight.

CHAPTER VIII

THE APPROACH OF THE STORM

"He's gone down!" cried a voice from the other side of the stream.

Tad sprang down