riking out strongly, though his voice grew hoarser and more
weak as he neared the edge, where, ghastly-looking and shivering, he
snatched at Mr Rebble's hand, and allowed himself to be helped out.

"Don't make that noise, Burr major," cried the master. "What's the
matter with you? Speak."

"Gone down--drowning! Oh--oh!"

He said this last in a husky whisper, and with white rings showing round
his wide-open eyes, he turned and pointed toward the middle of the great
pool.

"Who--who has?" cried Mr Hasnip frantically, and we looked eagerly from
one to the other, but no one seemed to be missing.

"Speak, sir. Who is? Where?" cried Mr Rebble, seizing Burr major by
his wet shoulders and shaking him. "Don't go on like that. Speak."

But Burr major made one gesticulation, and then his limbs seemed to
double up beneath him, as he dropped fainting on the grass.

"What is it? cramp?" cried Lomax, coming up, and taking off his coat.
"I'll soon put that right."

"No; he says some one is drowning."

"What?" roared Lomax wildly. "One of my lads! Here, who's missing?"

There was no answer, and the boys all gazed in a frightened way at each
other.

"Here, Burr major, rouse up," cried Mr Rebble, shaking the long, thin
lad, as he knelt down on one knee. "Who was it? Any one with you?"

The boy's eyes opened a little, he looked up wildly, and, trying to
rise, pointed again to the middle of the pool.

"Was--by me," he moaned--"went down."

"Never mind who it is," roared Lomax, literally tearing off his clothes.
"Now, boys--divers. In with you!"

His loudly-spoken command acted like magic upon us, and Mercer, Hodson,
and I dashed into the water abreast, and swam for the middle of the
pool, where in turn we began to dive down and try if we could find our
luckless school-fellow, whoever he might be, but without result.

"That's right," cried Lomax, as I came up, for he had joined us in an
incredibly short space of time. "Keep trying. This way."

He stretched out his arms, joined his hands as high as he could above
his head, so that their weight should help to sink him, and he slowly
went down out of sight, while, as fast as our efforts would allow, we
boys went down and tried to search about, gradually extending the
distance from each other in obedience to the orders shouted to us from
the bank.

I suppose it was in ten feet water, about thirty yards from the great
embankment, where we dived down most, but o