He also taught us some fancy strokes. Of course I
took no record of these lessons. You would hardly expect me to sit on
the bank with a book in hand jotting down notes while the rest were
splashing around in the cool water having the best of fun in the world,
and even if I had, I wouldn't republish the notes here, because whoever
heard of a boy learning to swim while reading a book on the subject? A
beginner had better leave books alone and plunge right into the water.
He will soon learn to keep himself afloat and can then practise any
fancy strokes that he sees others try. Then, again, don't try to learn
in shallow water, because you will never do it. Of course it doesn't pay
to jump into water that is over your head unless there is a good swimmer
near by to help you out. But you will never learn to swim until you have
become accustomed to putting your head under water. You can not swim
with a dry face. The first time we went swimming, we couldn't persuade
Dutchy to try it. The water was deep right up to the very bank and he
had never been in over his head. Instead he sat up in the diving tree
swinging his feet and trying to hide the fact that he was having a dull
time.

"Say, we've got to douse that fellow," said Reddy.

"You're right; he needs a wash," said Jim. "Let's sneak up behind him
and chuck him in."

They landed a little ways up the stream behind a large bush and then
crept down stealthily on their victim. But Dutchy had his suspicions
aroused and saw them coming. He scrambled out of the tree in a jiffy and
tore off into the woods as fast as his legs could carry him.

SWIMMING ON A PLANK.

[Illustration: Fig. 86. Swimming on a Plank.]

We didn't expect to see him again that afternoon, for the pace he was
leading should have carried him miles in no time; but while he couldn't
swim, Dutchy had his own ideas of fun on the water. It was about twenty
minutes later that we saw him coming down-stream lying full length on
one of the 2-inch planks taken from the bridge wreck. He was paddling
himself along with arms and legs hung over the sides of the plank. We
all gave him a cheer, and then started out to have some fun with him. We
tried to pull him off his raft, but he stuck on like a leech. It was
only when we made his craft turn turtle that Dutchy got his head under
water. But it wasn't a moment before he scrambled back on top again,
gasping and sputtering to get the water out of his nose and mouth.

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