THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. I 1 7 



* 



confused by his sudden bath. He rubbed his eyes and 

 looked all round, then began to cry ; but his crying soon 

 changed to a laugh as he saw the boys trying so hard to 

 rub the water from his clothes. Meanwhile Hal, with Mr. 

 Benedict's help, had got into the boat again. 



- " O Hal, are you hurt ? " said Frank, turning suddenly 

 towards him. 



" No, — yes, only a scratch, that is all. I suppose I got 

 it going down among those bushes." 



Hal's voice trembled with cold, and Mr. Benedict insist- 

 ed upon wrapping his dry coat about him. Frank was 

 already well provided for by the other boys. By this time 

 the sun had disappeared, and dark, heavy clouds covered 

 the whole sky. 



"Now, Gilbert," said the teacher, "we must pull well or 

 we shall all have a bath as well as Frank and Hal, before 

 we reach the landing." 



" I just felt a drop on my nose," said Ben Wait. 



Soon the rain began to fall very fast. They were not 

 half-way across the lake, and it was impossible to escape 

 a wetting. 



"We may as well take it easy, Gilbert," said Mr. Bene- 

 dict as he laid down his oars and took breath. The boys 

 all gave a loud laugh. They made a very funny picture, 

 sitting in open boats in the middle of the pond, with 

 the rain pouring in little cascades from their hat-brims. 



