“How’s the water?” called Tom.

“Cold,” Prescott answered, blowing out a mouthful as he struck out for the middle of the pond.  “You’d better keep out.”

“He wants the pond all to himself,” muttered Tom, and dived at once.

In a moment all six boys were in the water, sporting about and enjoying themselves.

“I wish they’d get further away from here,” thought Ted wistfully.  “They’re hanging right around here.  If I show myself they’ll all swim in.  There wouldn’t be time to do anything.”

All too late Ted heard some one coming through the woods behind him.  He crouched, ready to crawl away to privacy, but found himself too late.  Hi Martin parted the bushes as be forced his way through.

“Hello, Teall,” called the North Grammar captain.

“Hush—–­sh—–­sh!” warned Ted, putting a finger to his lips.

“What’s the matter?”

“Prescott and his crew are out there swimming, and their clothes are right below.”

“I see,” nodded Martin.  “You want to get the clothes?”

“Sit down here, out of sight, and keep quiet, won’t you?” urged Teall.

Hi sat down quietly.  He didn’t like Teall especially, but he disliked Prescott, and perhaps here was a chance to serve Dick’s discomfort.

“If they’d only swim away for a little stretch!” whispered Ted.

“I see,” nodded Hi Martin rather pompously.  “Too bad, isn’t it?  Now, Teall, you and Prescott both come from mucker schools, and I don’t know that I ought to butt in any.  But I don’t mind seeing you torment Prescott a bit.  You wait.  I’ll go in, and maybe I can challenge those fellows to swim down the pond that will take them away from this point.”

Ted’s face had flushed sullenly at Hi’s remark about “mucker schools.”  At another time Teall might have been ready to fight over a slighting word like that.  Just now, however, he craved help against Prescott more than anything else.

“All right,” urged Ted.  “You decoy that crowd away from here for a few minutes, and maybe I won’t do a thing to them!”

“I’ll see what I can do for you,” returned Martin, going down to the edge of the pond.

“How’s the water, fellows?” called Hi.

“Fine,” returned Dick with enthusiasm.

“Room enough in the pond for another?” Hi asked.

“Surely.  Come on in.”

“I believe I will,” Hi answered, seating himself and fumbling at his shoe-lacings.

A couple of minutes later Hi dived from the log and swam out to the other boys.

“Are you fellows any good on swimming distances?” Martin asked, as, with lazy stroke, he joined Dick & Co.  The North Grammar boy was an expert swimmer and proud of it.

“I guess we can swim a little way,” Prescott replied.  “I don’t remember that we ever swam any measured courses.”

“Can you swim down to that old elm?” asked Hi, indicating a tree at the further end of the pond.