There was something so jovial and harmless about Reade that, despite their recent anxiety concerning him, they made no effort to duck him.
"The water is fine this morning," called Tom presently, as they all swam about.
"Then why didn't you stay in ?" demanded Darry rather cuttingly.
"Say, I'm beginning to feel glad that I waited breakfast for the swim," Reade announced.
"Stick to the truth!" mocked Dick.
"But I really am beginning to feel that a little exercise is the best course before breakfast," Tom declared.
"The next thing we hear," scoffed Hazy, "you'll be telling us that you really don't want any breakfast." "I'll tell you fellows what I'll do," Tom called.

"I'll agree to put off eating until noon if you'll all stick to the idea." But that suggestion did not prove popular.
"I mean it," Reade insisted.

"I hardly care, now, whether I eat any breakfast or not." "What's that noise below?
Come on!" called Prescott, landing and running along the bank.

Tom was close behind him, the others following.
In their search for Tom they had gotten farther away from the wagon than they realized.

During their brief absence from the spot two tramps had come upon the camp wagon and the piles of discarded clothing.