Then we laughed like dunces, and then May began to sway and swing, and drone through her nose for me, and I was so excited I never looked.

I just dipped and faded on the spot.

I faded all right too, for I couldn't jump nearly across, and when I landed in pure clay that had been covered with water for three weeks, I went down to my knees in mud, to my waist in water, and lost my balance and fell backward.
A man passing on horseback pried me out with a rail and helped me home.
Of course he didn't know how I happened to fall in, and I was too chilled to talk.

I noticed May only said I fell, so I went to bed scorched inside with red pepper tea, and never told a word about dipping and fading.

Leon whispered and said he bet it was the last time I would play that, so as soon as my coat and dress were washed and dried, and I could go back to school, I did it again, just to show him I was no cowardy-calf; but I had learned from May to choose a puddle I could manage before I faded..