Page:Dave Porter at Oak Hall.djvu/241

Rh who came along if he would kindly save him from drowning.

Ben's task came close to getting him into trouble. He went out in the road when he supposed the coast was clear, to stay there exactly ten minutes. Eight minutes had passed, when to his dismay an old farmer came along, driving several cows.

"Excuse me," called out Ben, as cheerfully as he could. "But will you kindly save me from drowning?"

"Save you from what?" asked the farmer.

"Will you kindly save me from drowning?" repeated Ben. He had to make the request three times.

"I guess you are out o' your head," sniffed the farmer. "Drownin', when there ain't no water in sight!"

"Will you kindly save me from drowning?" repeated Ben.

"See here, you can't poke no fun at me!" stormed the farmer, and made at Ben with his cow-whip. But Ben was too quick for him, and ran out of sight with all speed.

"I fancy my task was the easiest after all," said Dave, "although learning the alphabet backwards isn't the easiest thing in the world." When Dave recited before a committee of five, he had to stand on his head and fan himself in the meanwhile. Yet with it all he enjoyed the fun as much as anybody.