mplify matters awfully. If a youngster got it into his head
that it wanted more pluck to go against himself than all the Templeton
rules put together, we should get some surprises!"

"No chance of that, I'm afraid, while there are fellows like Pledge, who
make it a business to drag youngsters down."

"You may say so. I should say there's not a youngster in Templeton in
greater peril at this moment than Pledge's fag, and the worst of it is
there is no one to help him."

Dick suddenly felt his sofa uncomfortable. The boards underneath
cramped him; the sun, too, for some reason or other, became too hot, and
the breeze fidgeted him; the last sandwich he had eaten had had too much
mustard in it; he was getting fagged of fishing.

Although the talk of the two seniors had not been intended for his ears,
it had been impossible for him to avoid overhearing it, even if he had
tried, which he had not, and the Hermit's last words had stung him to
the quick and spoilt his enjoyment.

"What's the matter, youngster?" asked Cresswell. "Getting sea-sick?"

"No," replied Dick, trying to compose himself.

"What do you say to a header?"

Dick was stripped in half a minute. Anything for a change. And what
change more delightful than a plunge in the lovely green sea?

The seniors smiled at his hurry, as they proceeded in a more leisurely
fashion to follow his example.

"Don't wait for us; over you go," said Cresswell, "and tell old Neptune
we are coming."

Dick waited for no further invitation, and sprang from the gunwale.
They watched the spreading circles that tracked his dive, and marked the
white shining streak as it darted past, under the water.

"He'll be a shark, before long," said Cresswell. "Look at the distance
he's dived."

"He has to thank the tide for part of this, though," said Freckleton,
looking at his watch. "Why, it's--"

An exclamation from Cresswell stopped him. Dick had reappeared, but he
was twenty yards at least astern of the boat, and drifting back every
moment.

At first he did not seem to be aware of it; but, treading water, waved
one hand exultantly to celebrate his long dive.

But when he began to swim, leisurely at first, but harder presently, he
suddenly realised his position, and saw that instead of making way back
to the boat, he was losing distance at every stroke.

Some of my readers may have been in a similar position, and know the
horror of helplessness which, for a moment, co