“Look at the duck!” they cried. Those aft struggled for a view. A small duck, and evidently a young one, was bobbing up and down in the boat’s waves scarce three yards away. As they passed, it watched them with staring, beady eyes, but made no move toward flight. “Gee!” said Tom, his own eyes quite as starey as the duck’s, “if we only had a gun!” Then the duck came alongside him and the temptation was too great. With one hand on a stanchion, he leaned far out and made a wild grab. He didn’t get the duck he expected, but he got one kind; for he lost his balance and his hold simultaneously, and went overboard head foremost with a mighty splash. Aunt Louisa gave a shriek of terror and turned to Dan: “Go after him, Hurry! Save him!” “Yes’m,” answered Dan, with a grin. Then over he went just as the engine was stopped, and just as Tom came up sputtering some twenty yards away. “Keep up!” called Dan. “I’ll save you!” And Aunt Louisa, watching anxiously, couldn’t understand why the fellows laughed so uproariously. Tom, shaking his head to get the water from his eyes, turned and started toward the boat. But Dan wasn’t a life-saver for nothing. “Don’t give up!” he called. “Fight hard! I’ll have you in a moment!” “You ku-ku-ku-keep away from mu-mu-mu-me!” answered Tom. “Saved!” shouted Dan, and then rescued and rescuer disappeared from sight. “Oh!” shrieked Aunt Louisa, “they’re both drowning!” And every one else laughed harder than before. Then up came Dan’s head, and up came Tom’s, and a merry struggle took place. Dan insisted on pulling Tom back to the launch by the back of his sweater, and Tom refused. “Lu-lu-lu-let mu-mu-mu-me alone, you, i-i-i-idiot!” he protested. “You shut up!” answered Dan. “I was asked to save you, and I’m going to do it if I have to drown you.” He got a fresh grip on Tom and--down they went again. In the end Mr. Clinton had to take a hand, otherwise they might have been there yet. Tom, looking sheepish, was helped over the side, and Dan pulled in after him. Aunt Louisa began a speech of thanks to the latter, but Nelson, wiping the tears from his eyes, at last found his voice. “He didn’t do anything, ma’am,” he explained. “Tom can swim like a fish; he’s the best swimmer in camp!” “Do you mean to tell me,” she demanded, “that he wasn’t drowning?” “No’m--yes’m--I mean he wasn’t.”