"Nor drowned," the lad said merrily, "just knocked senseless." Then, after a moment's pause, he continued: "I want to be up and about before Nell returns. She will be in about noon tomorrow. Unless it got into the New England papers, which isn't likely, she won't know a thing about it. I don't want her to hear of it before I tell her. She would imagine all sorts of things that aren't true, and be needlessly worried."