She glanced back over her shoulder, frowning. All of a sudden, she had the strangest feeling they were being watched. She wasn't sure what had made her turn to look across the lake but for a moment, she thought she had seen a figure standing back there in the trees. Now there wasn't anybody there. There was only a tingling sensation at the back of her neck. 'It's probably Ned,' she thought, 'He's got me all jumpy with his sneaking up on people and all his talk of poisonous snakes and crocodiles in the lake.'

Something grabbed her leg. She screamed as Ned broke the surface of the water right beside her, making snapping sounds with his jaws.

"Ned!"

"I'm getting to you!" He said, ominously.

Very slowly, she splashed him and he laughed and pushed off the dock. She made a face at Marcie.

Much as she hated to admit it, he was getting to her. Instead of being annoying, his juvenile behavior was sort of cute. He was like a little boy, throwing spit balls to get attention. It was like having Jerry Lewis getting a crush on you. It was both maddening and enduring at the same time. Marcie sighed and stood up. The sun was getting low and he still had a few things left to do.

"Hey, you guys," she said, "You ready to go back to work?"

Jack groaned and turned over on his stomach.

"Yeah…" said Bill, sounding considerably less than enthusiastic. "Come on, Alice."

"Uh oh," said Alice. She was staring at the water. Ned had swam a distance from the dock and he was suddenly thrashing weakly in the water.

"Help!" he shouted, "Help!"

"There's something wrong with Ned!" said Marcie.

They saw him go under.

"Get a life preserver!" Jack shouted.

Bill leaped in to the water and Jack dived in after him, both of striking out towards Ned. Marcie and Brenda pushed a boat into the water. Alice threw out a life preserver. Jack was treading water at the spot where they had seen Ned go down. Bill was underneath somewhere, looking for Ned. He came up beside Jack and took a deep breath.

"Did you see him?"

"I don't know… he's around here somewhere."

"I'm gonna help dive for him," said Alice. She went over the side of the canoe as Marcie paddled out to where Jack and Bill were looking.

"There he is!" cried Marcie, pointing. Brenda had come up with her arm around him. Ned was limp.

"Come on, guys. Help me!" she said, struggling to pull him towards the dock.

"Watch his head!" said Marcie. Alice was beside her in another moment and then Jack and Bill were helping to bring him in and lift him onto the dock. He appeared to be unconscious. They laid him down on his back, his head hanging to once side. Brenda crouched over him.

"Can you give him mouth-to-mouth?" said Jack.