The Rover Boys at School | Page 6

yet, I suppose," said Tom.
At this Dick gave a groan, for the watch was a fine gold one which Mr.
Rover had worn for years. Dick had begged for the timepiece, and it
had been entrusted to him at the last moment
"We must get that watch back somehow!" he said. "Isn't there another
boat around here?"
"There is one up to Harrison's farm."
"That is quarter of a mile away."
"I don't think there is any nearer."
"And the river is all of two hundred feet wide here! What shall we do?"
It was a puzzling question, and all three Of the boys stared blankly at
each other. In the meantime, the thief had picked up a pair of oars and
was using them in a clumsy fashion which showed plainly that he was
not used to handling them.

"If we had a boat we could catch him easily," observed Tom. Then his
eyes fell upon the fallen tree. "I have an idea! Let us try to get across on
that! I won't mind a wetting if only we can get Dick's watch back."
"Yes, yes; just the thing!" put in his elder brother quickly.
All hands ran down to the fallen tree, which was about a foot in
diameter and not over twenty-five or thirty feet in length. It lay half in
the water already, and it was an easy matter to shove it off.
"We can't do much without oars or a pole," said Tom. "Wait a
moment," and he ran back to where he had seen another fallen tree, a
tall, slender maple sapling. He soon had this in hand; and, cleared of its
branches, it made a capital pole. Dick and Sam sat astride of the tree in
the water, and Tom stood against an upright branch and shoved off.
The river was not deep, and he kept on reaching bottom without
difficulty.
By this time the tramp was halfway across the stream, which was
flowing, rapidly and carrying both boat and tree down toward a bend
quarter of a mile below.
"Go on back, unless you want to be shot!" cried the man savagely, but
they paid no attention to the threat as no pistol appeared; and, seeing
this, the thief redoubled his efforts to get away.
He was still a quarter of the distance from the opposite shore, and the
boys on the tree were in midstream, when Sam uttered a shout. "There
goes one of his oars! We can catch him now -- if we try hard!"
It was true that the oar was gone, and in his anxiety to regain the blade
the tramp nearly lost the second oar. But his efforts were unavailing,
and he started to paddle himself to the bank, meanwhile watching his
pursuers anxiously.
"We'll get him," said Dick encouragingly, when, splash! Tom went
overboard like a flash, the lower end of his pole having slipped on a
smooth rock of the river bottom. There was a grand splutter, and it was

fully a minute before Tom reappeared -- twenty feet away and minus
his pole.
"Hi! help me on board, somebody!" he spluttered, for he had gone
overboard so quickly that he had swallowed a large quantity of water.
Both Sam and Dick tried to reach him, but could not. Then the current
caught the tree and whirled it around and around until both boys began
to grow dizzy.
Seeing they could not aid him, and getting back a little of his wind,
Tom struck out for the tree. But the water running over his face blinded
him, and ere he knew he was so close the tree came circling around and
struck him on the side of the head.
"Oh!" he moaned, and sank from sight.
"Tom's hit!" gasped Sam. "He'll be drowned sure now!"
"Not if I can help him!" burst out Dick, and leaped overboard to his
brother's assistance. But Tom was still out of sight, and for several
seconds could not be located.
Sam waited anxiously, half of a mind to jump into the river himself.
The tramp was now forgotten, and landed on the opposite bank
unnoticed. He immediately dove into the bushes, and disappeared from
view.
At last Dick caught sight of Tom's arm and made a clutch for it. Hardly
had he taken hold than Tom swung around and caught him by the
throat in a deathlike grip, for he was too bewildered to know what he
was doing.
"Save me!" he groaned. "Oh, my head! Save me!"
"I will, Tom; only don't hold me so tight," answered Dick. "I -- can't get
any air."
"I can't swim -- I'm all upset," was the reply; and Tom clutched his

elder brother tighter than ever.
Seeing there was no help for it,