h-h!" he cried, "what a mull! Now I shall have to wait here a long
time till it is righted. Take care, please; don't let it float away!"
he shouted.

He soon saw that quick-witted Edie had hastened below to the table,
which had remained as it was placed last evening, and stretching out of
the window with a broom, which was the handiest and most efficient
thing she could readily find, was holding the bath to the house.

In answer to Alfy's cries, Mansy went down to help Edie, and then the
others following, they all endeavoured to turn the bath top upwards.
This task they at length accomplished, with the help of one or two more
brooms; and having fastened string round it to prevent its escape, it
was launched with a vigorous push in Alfy's direction. It floated
pretty buoyantly on the water, though its high back seemed to make it a
little top-heavy.

Well was it that the strange craft had been tethered, or it might have
floated provokingly just out of Alfy's reach; but, with a little
pulling and guidance by means of the string, it was coaxed near enough
to Alfy, so that he could throw in his tin with the cord attached, and
persuade it to float right under the tree.

In a very short time he had cautiously descended and dropped into his
novel boat. Yes, it floated still, though his weight caused it, of
course, to sink deeper in the water. Perhaps, however, it was less
liable to overturn, for its load ballasted it, and rendered it less
top-heavy.

With a loud "Hurrah!" he pushed off smartly from the tree, and giving
one wave of the hand to those watching him from the house, turned his
attention to navigating his strange craft to the shore.

Now, for a paddle Edie had put in a long broom-handle, and grasping
this in the middle, he plied it alternately one side and then the other.

Strange use for a broom-handle; but the occupants of the Island House
never expected to be caught by a flood like this, so they had to do the
best they could. "Hullo! I must look out for that mass of hay!" said
Alfy. "That I shall call an iceberg; or, no, a whale I think. Out of
the way, whale!" he cried, pushing it off briskly with his
indispensable broom-handle.

Hard though he worked, he made but slow progress, his craft was so
unwieldy and difficult to manage. "I wonder where the tub is!" he
cried. "Why, actually there, stranded against the hedge! The tub was
better than the bath. I've a good mind to go after that tub and b