fusion as the lad felt himself dragged down
lower and lower, till it seemed as if he would never rise again.

Moments are changed to minutes at such times as these, but prolonged as
the agony seemed, he was soon at the surface once more, panting for
breath and beating the water like a drowning dog.

But coolness came with the strong desire for life, and he now struck out
bravely as he saw the water about dotted with the black heads of his
enemies, one and all swimming for the floating wreck of their canoe,
whilst the yacht was far away, and Jack's courage became despair as he
kept on swimming slowly, better than he could have believed, so as to
keep himself afloat.

"That's the way, Mr Jack, sir," came from behind him; "and you said you
couldn't swim."

"Ned," gasped the boy, turning in the direction of the sound, and his
slow, steady strokes became on the instant fast and wild.

"Ah, don't do that!" cried Ned, swimming alongside. "Slow and steady,
sir. Don't wind yourself. There, it's all right; I could keep you up,
but I want you to try yourself. Strike out as I told you last time we
bathed. Slow and steady. Let your legs go down as far as they like.
Never mind if the water comes right up to your mouth; lay your head
sideways and screwed round so that you can look over your right
shoulder, and rest the back of it on the water. That's the way. Think
you're having a lesson in swimming, and do just as I do. See? We only
want to keep afloat till a boat comes from the yacht to pick us up.
Well done, sir. This is the best lesson in swimming you ever had."

Jack took stroke for stroke feebly enough, and kept well afloat, but he
felt all the time that if Ned were not at his side he would have begun
to strike out again in frantic despairing haste, wearied himself in a
very short time, and gone down.

"Man never knows what he can do till he tries, sir," said Ned cheerily.
"It's all right. Just keep your mouth above water while you take a good
long breath, and then shut it again. Lower you are the easier you
float. When you're tired you shall turn on your back, and I'll guide
you."

"Shall we be drowned, Ned?" panted the lad. "We'll talk about that by
and by, sir. We can go on like this easy in the sea for an hour, if you
do as I tell you. Now then, we're not running a race. Just try to
think you're standing in the water, and to move your hands as slowly as
you can. It's all right, Mr Jack, sir. We'v