arted simultaneously for the drifting paddle, but they
had hardly taken a dozen strokes when the snake thrust his head out of a
crevice in the bottom boards.

This proved too much for Nugget. Uttering yell after yell he sprang to
his feet and tried to climb out on the foredeck of the canoe. The Imp
refused to stand such treatment, and tipped over instantly, throwing
Nugget head first into the water.

Fortunately the creek was shallow at this point, and after going under a
couple of times, and swallowing a quantity of water--owing to his
persistent yelling--Nugget gained a foothold without the aid of his
friends, and waded shoulder deep for the nearest shore.

Amid all the confusion the snake escaped in some manner from the
overturned canoe, and swam rapidly down stream. Ned and Clay went in
pursuit, but the reptile was too swift for them, and safely gained a
patch of reeds.

The Imp was quickly righted and towed to shore. The contents were little
damaged, and Nugget made haste to change his clothes.

"I'd like to know how that snake got in my canoe," he said angrily. "It
was a beastly mean trick."

"I don't believe it was a trick at all," exclaimed Ned laughingly. "The
snake must have crawled in when the canoe was lying on shore, bottom up.
It no doubt thought it had found a nice snug place to live."

"That's the way it happened, of course," said Randy. "No one would have
been mean enough to put it in on purpose."

Clay said nothing, but turned abruptly aside and began to busy himself
with his canoe.

The delay was of brief duration, and the Jolly Rovers were soon afloat
again. Nugget had stretched his wet clothes across the fore and rear
deck of his canoe, so that the sun would quickly dry them.

About noon, while the boys were paddling through a deep and narrow part
of the creek, Ned called attention to a bunch of ducks that were feeding
in the reeds some distance down the right shore. All eyes were turned in
that direction, and consequently no one happened to glance toward the
opposite bank.

Clay had fallen a little behind his companions, and was three or four
yards to the left of them. He was drifting along with his gaze fixed on
the ducks, when all at once his canoe began to twist and oscillate in a
most alarming manner.

He turned quickly to see what was the matter, and the first glance sent
a chill of fear to his heart. He was on the edge of a violently agitated
patch of water that kept moving rou