"Same here," said Townsend.

"Same here," said Warde.

And meanwhile the man in the moon winked down at Pee-wee.




CHAPTER XXII

IN THE GLARE OF THE SEARCH-LIGHT

Now the tide is a funny thing, especially in a small suburban river.
The banks of a river being for the most part sloping, the river bed is
narrower at the bottom than at the top. You don't have to wear glasses
to see that. That is why the tide, as it recedes, runs faster and
faster; because during the last hour or two of its recession it flows
in narrower confines. This has been the settled policy of nature for
many centuries, and it was so ordered for the benefit of Pee-wee Harris.

When the Merry-go-round Island floated leisurely against the Skybrow
lawn the tide had been flowing out for about an hour. When this same
rechristened island broke loose disguised as an earthly paradise, the
tide was in a great hurry. And when the earthly paradise caught upon
the flats the little remaining water was running as if it were going to
catch a train.

Rapidly, ever so rapidly, the water slid down off the flats to join the
hurrying water in the channel. And, presto, all of a sudden there was