"After that we'll be ready for a swim." "But, with regard to what you were saying about frayed American nerves, poor stomachs and all-around babyishness-----" Tom began all over again.
"Stop it!" laughed Dick.

"We don't need that line of talk any longer." "Then why did you start it ?" asked Dave.
"We've covered the two miles that you all thought such a hardship," chuckled Prescott.
"Then you-----" began Reade, opening his eyes wider as a dawning light came into them.

"Come on, Dave! Catch him! The water's handy!" But Dick, with a light laugh, bounded away, shinned up a tree, and, sitting in a crotch, swung his feet toward the faces of Tom, Dave and Harry as they tried to get him and drag him down.
"You've got a strategic position, just now," growled Reade.

"But just you wait until we catch you down on the ground again!" "You fellows must feel pretty well sold," Greg taunted them.
"I kept out of the row, for I saw, at the outset, that Dick was going to start something for the sole purpose of keeping us arguing until we forgot all about our breakfasts." "That's just like Dick Prescott!" uttered Tom ruefully.

"We never get to know him so well that he can't start us all on a new tack and have more fun with us." "Well, you forgot your supposed starvation, didn't you ?" chuckled Dick from his tree.
Two or three minutes later he swung down from the tree to the ground, rapidly removing his clothing and donning swimming trunks.
He was not molested; the other five were too busy preparing for the bath.
"The water's great to-day!" shouted Dick, rising and "blowing" after a shallow dive from a tree trunk at the shore.
In a moment they were all in the water.
"Come on! Follow your leader!" shouted Tom Reade, striking out lustily upstream.
"Come back and give us a handicap!" roared Dave.