ely."

"Well, then, up with your hands--same as you saw the other two."

Toppin lifted them high, the tips of his fingers met in the approved
style, and he took a long breath. Then, gradually, his hands fell back
to his sides, and the breath ended in a sigh. Armitage pushed the child
impatiently aside.

"Get away, you silly little coward! I'm not going to waste my time
standing over you. Go back to the shallow end, and dance at the ropes.
We'll come over and duck you."

Toppin was quivering, but his face flushed crimson, and, thrusting
himself forward once more, he laid a hand pleadingly on Armitage's
wrist. At the same moment a clatter on the stone stairs told of the
approach of section number two.

"Give us one more chance, Armie, please! I promise not to funk it again.
Listen, they're just coming!"

"You'll not do it," said Armitage.

"Won't I, though! Look here! count three, and then give me a tiny push."

As Jack and the March Hare entered the saloon they heard Armitage say,
"Very well. One, two, three; now go!"

There was a faint, quickly-checked cry, and then a little splash. Toppin
was under the water.

The same instant the March Hare--hat, boots, and all--had leapt in, and
was fighting his way towards the deep end.

Jack's first impulse was to tear off his coat and follow the Hare's
example; but when he saw a little red head appear and immediately be
captured, and when he realized that Bacon, Simmons, and Armitage were
all swimming to the rescue, he refrained.

Although the March Hare was the first to lay hold of Toppin's crest, the
next minute he was himself in need of rescue. The Hare had only advanced
to the swimming stage when both hands and feet are absolutely necessary,
and the pause to seize his friend had sufficed, when combined with the
weight of his garments, to sink him; so Toppin dived for the second
time, in company with the March Hare.

"Quick!" yelled Jack, "or there'll be two drowned! Shall I come?"

[Illustration]

But the pair had risen again, and were clutched and violently wrenched
apart by Armitage and Bacon. For the March Hare's grip of the red locks
was very tight.

Bacon found Toppin fairly easy to land, but the Hare, in full walking
costume, was quite another matter, and Simmons's help was required.
Besides, Toppin kept quiet when commanded to, while the March Hare
fought and struggled, and had to have his head thumped severely.
Fortunately the steps were not far of