eating the
water with my hands as I had seen a dog beat the surface when he could
not swim, and I seemed to throw my head right back as I gasped for
breath. But I do not remember that it was very horrible, or that I was
drowning, as I surely was. Confusion is the best expression for
explaining my sensations as I was swept rapidly down by the tide.

What do I remember next? I hardly know. Only a sensation of some one
catching me by the wrist, from somewhere in the darkness that was
closing me in. But the next thing after that is, I remember shutting my
eyes, because the sun shone in them so fiercely as I lay on my back in
the grass, with my head aching furiously, and a strange pain at the back
of my neck, as if some one had been trying to break my head off, as a
mischievous child would serve a doll.

Just then I heard some one sobbing and crying, and I felt as if I must
be asleep and dreaming all this.

"Don't make that row. He's all right, I tell you. He isn't drowned.
What's the good of making a row like that!"

It was George Day's voice, and opening my eyes I said hoarsely:

"What's the matter? Is he hurt?"

"No: it's only Harry Leggatt thought you were--you were hurt, you know.
Can you get up, and run? All our clothes are two fields off. Come on.
The sun will dry you."

I got up, feeling giddy and strange, and the aching at the back of my
head was almost unbearable; but I began to walk with Day holding my
hand, and after a time--he guiding me, for I felt very stupid--I began
to trot; and at last, with my head throbbing and whirring, I found
myself standing by my clothes, and my companions helped me to dress.

"You went out too far," Day said. "I told you not, you know."

I was shivering with cold and terribly uncomfortable with putting on my
things over my wet chilled body. It had been a hard task too,
especially with my socks, but I hardly spoke till we were walking home,
and when I did it was during the time I was smoothing my wet hair with a
pocket comb lent me by one of the boys.

"How was it I went too far?" I said at last, dolefully.

"I don't know," said Day. "I shouldn't have known anything if that chap
Shock hadn't come shouting to us; and when we came, thinking he was
going to steal our clothes, he brought us and showed us where he had
dragged you out on to the bank. It was him we saw swimming when we
first went in."

"Where is he now?" I said wearily. "Let's ask him all about