He threw the stick, still tied to the rope, into the water of the lake, as far as he could from shore.

“You run down the shore a little farther and whistle to Zip,” said Laddie to Russ.  “You can whistle better than I can.  When Zip swims to you with the stick in his mouth he’ll pull me on the raft.”

“Oh, I wonder if he will!” exclaimed Russ.

Zip, the big dog, was already swimming out to get the floating stick, and Laddie took his place on the raft, which he had pushed out from shore.

“I’ll have a fine ride!” said the little boy.

CHAPTER XVI

MUN BUN SEES SOMETHING

“Here, Zip!  Ho, Zip!  Come here!” called Russ, and he whistled to the dog, which was swimming along with the stick in his mouth.

The dog heard, and, turning toward the shore of the lake, made his way to Russ, who was standing on the little sandy beach.  And, as Zip swam along, and pulled on the clothesline, which was fast to the stick in his mouth, and also fast to the raft on which stood Laddie Bunker, the little boy was given a ride.

Zip was a strong dog, and as the raft was light, and as Laddie was not heavy, the swimming animal had no trouble in pulling the queer boat after him.

“Oh, I’m having a fine ride!” shouted Laddie, as he stood in his bare feet on the raft, over which the water washed.  “Come on, Russ!  You can have a ride after I do.”

“Will your raft hold me?” asked his brother.

“We can put some more boards on and make it,” Laddie answered.  “Oh, we’ll have lots of fun!”

“Come on, Zip!  Come on!  That’s a good dog!” called Russ, and the dog, which was used to swimming out into the lake and bringing back sticks that the children threw, swam on toward shore with the round piece of wood to which the clothesline was fastened still in his mouth.  And of course as Zip pulled on the line he also pulled the raft along, and so gave Laddie a ride.

“Oh, it was lots of fun!” shouted the little boy, as the raft came into shallow water where it would no longer float.  For Zip had reached shore by this time, and had dropped the stick at the feet of Russ.  Then Zip stood there, wagging his tail, and shaking the water off his shaggy coat, waiting for Russ to toss the stick into the water again.

“Here you go, Zip!  Bring it back!” cried Russ.  “Bring the stick back again!” and, once more, he tossed it into the water.

“Don’t you want him to give you a ride?” asked Laddie.

“Wait till we see if he gives you another one,” suggested Russ.

And Zip did.  Out he swam to where the piece of wood floated, still tied to the clothesline that was fast to the raft.  And when Zip swam along, of course he pulled the raft after him.

“Oh, he does it!  He does it again!” cried Laddie, capering up and down on the raft.  “Now we’ll make the boat bigger, Russ, and you can have a ride, and so can——­”