ood disputing as to which would be the better
proceeding--to try and swim ashore, or to wait till we could attract the
notice of those on board the boat.

Several attempts were made to do the latter, for the stripping to swim
with the loss of our clothes was not a course to be thought upon with
equanimity; and though we shouted and waved handkerchiefs, the lugger
pursued its slow way, and it was quite plain that we were not seen.

Meanwhile the water was steadily rising up the sides of our little
island rock, and our position was beginning to wear a more serious
aspect.

"We shall have to swim ashore, boys," said Bigley, speaking in a tone
which seemed to indicate that he would rather do anything else.

He looked towards the cliff as he spoke, and being so much taller than
we, of course he had a much better view.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, with a look of horror, "the tide is round both
points, and we shall have to swim right along ever so far before we can
land."

"No, no," cried Bob, "let's swim straight in."

"I tell you," cried Bigley, "if we do, we shall be drowned."

"What nonsense!" cried Bob. "Why, we'd climb up the rocks."

"There is not a place where you could climb," said Bigley gloomily. "I
know every yard all along here, and there isn't a single spot where you
could get up the cliff."

"It's too far to swim," I said gloomily. "I know I can't go so far as
that. Could you, Bob?"

He shook his head.

"Oh, yes, you could," cried Bigley excitedly. "It would be swimming
with the stream, you know, and it would carry us along--I mean the tide
would, and you've only got to think you could do it, and you would."

Bob Chowne shook his head, and I began to feel chilled and oppressed by
the task we had before us.

"No, I couldn't swim so far," cried Bob suddenly. "It would take a
strong man who could keep on for hours to do that."

"I tell you that you could do it," cried Bigley, who seemed to be quite
passionate now. "Don't talk like that, Bob, or you'll frighten Sep
Duncan out of trying."

"I'm not going to try," I said gloomily. "It would be no use. I could
swim to the shore but not round the point."

"What's the good of talking like that?" cried Bigley. "You both can
swim it, and you must."

"Why, I don't believe you could, Big," cried Bob in a whimpering tone.

"I do," said the great fellow doggedly, "and I'm going to try, and so
are you two fellows."

"That we are not," we cried togeth