“Sprinkle me with flour the way mother used to do.”

Tad walked over and laid a firm hand on the arm of the fat boy.

“You go back there and wipe off, then put on your clothes, or I’ll skin you in earnest.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d scalp you if you continue to carry on in this way.”

“Sea—–­scalp me?” stammered Stacy.

“Yes.  You surely have done enough to them to make them want to.  Did you know you knocked over the Medicine Man?”

“Did I?”

“You did.”

Stacy grinned.

“I’m glad of it.  But that isn’t a circumstance to what I’d like, to do to him if I could do it and get away with it.

“Well, how does it feel to be roasted?” questioned the grinning Ned Rector, approaching them at this juncture.

“Who put up this job on me?” demanded Stacy angrily.

“Job?  Why, it wasn’t a job.  You were a very sick man.  Your case demanded instant treatment—–­”

“Say, what was that meat we had for dinner, Tad?” asked Chunky suddenly.

“Deer meat.”

“Oh, fiddle!  Ned said it was cat meat and I—–­I got sick.  I’ll get even with him for that.”

“How do you feel?” asked the smiling Professor, coming up and slapping the fat boy on the shoulder.

“I—–­I guess I’m well, but I don’t believe I’ll be able to sit down or lie down all the rest of the summer.  No, don’t ask me to put on my clothes.  I can’t wear them.  My skin’s all grown fast to my underwear.  I’ll have to wear these underclothes the rest of the season if I don’t want to lose my skin.  Oh, I’m in an awful fix.”

“But you’re well, so what’s the odds?” laughed Tad.

“It does brace a fellow up to have that—–­that—–­what do you call it?”

“Hole In The Wall bath,” nodded Ned.

“That’s just the trouble.  There wasn’t any hole in the wall to let the heat out.  Oh, it was awful.  If you don’t think it was, then some of you fellows get in there for a roast.  Oh, I’m sore!”

Stacy limped off by himself, then stood leaning against a rock, still in his underwear, gazing moodily at the waters of Havasu River.  Stacy was much chastened for the time being.

All at once the lad started.  Ned Rector had laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Oh, it’s you?”

“Yes.  You aren’t angry with me, are you, Chunky?”

“Angry with you?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ever have a sore lip, Ned?”

“Of course I have,” laughed Rector.

“When you couldn’t have laughed at the funniest story you ever heard?”

“I guess that about describes it.”

“Well, I’ve got a sore lip all over my body.  If I were to be cross with you I’d crack the one big, sore lip and then you’d hear me yell,” answered the fat boy solemnly.  “No, I’m not angry with you, Ned.”

Rector laughed softly.

“I don’t want you to be.  I’m always having a lot of fun with you and I expect to have a lot more, for you are the biggest little idiot I ever saw in my life.”