Peterkin now shrieked with laughter; but his merriment was abruptly put
a stop to by the gurgling noise occurring close to where he stood.
"Where'll it spout this time, I wonder?" he said, looking about with
some anxiety, and preparing to run. Suddenly there came a loud hiss or
snort; a fierce spout of water burst up between Peterkin's legs, blew
him off his feet, enveloped him in its spray, and hurled him to the
ground. He fell with so much violence that we feared he must have
broken some of his bones, and ran anxiously to his assistance; but
fortunately he had fallen on a clump of tangled herbage, in which he
lay sprawling in a most deplorable condition.
It was now our turn to laugh; but as we were not yet quite sure that he
was unhurt, and as we knew not when or where the next spout might
arise, we assisted him hastily to jump up and hurry from the spot.
I may here add that, although I am quite certain that the spout of
water was very strong, and that it blew Peterkin completely off his
legs, I am not quite certain of the exact height to which it lifted
him, being somewhat startled by the event, and blinded partially by the
spray, so that my power of observation was somewhat impaired for the
moment.
"What's to be done now?" asked Peterkin ruefully.
"Make a fire, lad, and dry ourselves," replied Jack.
"And here is material ready to our hand," said I, picking up a dried
branch of a tree, as we hurried up to the woods.
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