her things.
Meanwhile three women and half a dozen girls, all of whom lived on board
the fleet of canal-boats that were lying near by, joined the spectators,
and seemed to think that the whole business was a capital joke. Harry
and Joe were now anxious to come out of the water; but they could not
come ashore while these spectators were there, so they swam some
distance up the canal, and crept out behind a barn.

Meanwhile Tom and Jim were busily baling out the boat, and arranging the
wet things so that the sun could dry them. They were so busy that they
forgot all about Harry and Joe. Presently Tom said, "Hark! I think I
hear somebody calling."

They listened, and presently they heard a voice in the distance calling,
"Tom! Jim! boys! somebody! bring us our clothes!"

"It's Harry and Joe," exclaimed Tom. "Where on earth are they?"

[Illustration: A PREDICAMENT.--DRAWN BY A. B. FROST.]

They looked up the canal, and finally discovered a naked arm waving
frantically from behind a barn that stood near the water. "They must be
behind that barn," said Tom. "Why, the mosquitoes will eat 'em alive.
I'll take their clothes to them right away." So saying, Tom gathered up
the shirts, trousers, and hats of the two unhappy divers, and ran with
them to their owners. He found Harry and Joe crouched behind the barn,
chattering with cold, and surrounded by clouds of eager mosquitoes.
"We've been here half an hour," cried Joe, "and the mosquitoes would
have finished us in another half hour. I think my right leg is nearly
gone already."

"And I know I must have lost a gallon of blood," said Harry.

The boys hurriedly dressed themselves, and returning to the boat, helped
to put it on the wagon; and with the wet shoes hanging from the
cart-rungs they started on their ride to Warrensburg. It was a hot and
tedious ride, and as the wagon had no springs, the boys were bumped so
terribly that they ached all over. They tried to sing, but the words
were bumped out of them in the most startling way; and after singing one
verse of the "Star-spangled Banner" in this fashion,

"The St-t-tar-spangl-led-led ba-a-an-na-na--"

they gave it up.

About four o'clock they reached Warrensburg, and after getting some dry
sugar to replace that which had been mixed with canal water, they
launched the boat and rowed up the river. They found it a narrow stream,
with a rapid current and a good depth of water. After their tiresome
ride the smooth motion