n Vander's Drug Store to get a soda,
and wait for the rain to stop. When I was finished it hadn't stopped,
so I got another soda--a strawberry. Even after that the rain didn't
stop and I was just going to start out anyway, when a man who was in
there said, "Why don't you try one more?" So I did--a pineapple--and by
the time I had finished that, the rain had stopped. So that proves it.

But that day I'm telling you about, I guess it wouldn't have stopped
even if we had stayed in Catskill a couple of hours drinking sodas. We
sat on one of the benches in the waiting room of the wharf where the
Albany boats stop, and watched it rain. It was so thick that we could
hardly see across the river. Merry Christmas, didn't it come down! We
saw the big day boat go up and all her lights were burning, it was so
dark on the river. I guess we waited a couple of hours.

"It's all on account of the old what's-his-name, St. Swithin," I said.
"I bet he was the head of an umbrella trust."

Bert said, "Oh, I don't know, I kind of like rain. It's all part of the
scout game." That was just like him, he had some use for everything.

I guess it must have been about supper time when it held up enough for
us to start across. Anyway, I know I was hungry. But that was no proof
it was supper time. Sometimes I've been hungry in the middle of the
night. I guess St. Swithin stopped to have his supper; anyway, it began
pouring again as soon as we got across.

"Anyway, we got the letters mailed," I said; "what do I care? Let it
rain."

"I'm willing," Bert said, "as long as we can't stop it." We were both
feeling good, even if we were wet.

"Suppose Lieutenant Donnelle writes and says he doesn't know anything
about the money?" I said. Because now the excitement of getting the
letters ready and all that was over, I began to feel a little shaky.

Bert said, "Well, if it's a case of _supposing_, suppose we start
home."

We hiked it back the same way we had come, all the way in a pelting
rain. It came down in sheets--and pillowcases. When we hit into the old
creek bed, the water was running through it just the same as if it was
a regular creek. It was right up to the top of the bushes that grew
there and dragging them sideways, as it rushed along.

"Well, what do you know about that?" I said.

Bert just stood looking at it and then he said, "That's no rain water."

"Sure it is," I said; "what else do you suppose it is?" "Something's
wrong," he sai