ther stooped to reassure him.

'I'm all right, sonny. Here's your stick! Come along up to the house
with me! I'm too wet to stand about. They'll give me a change.'

He took hold of Bobby's hand and led him to the bank whilst they took
off their skates together, and then they walked through the park, young
Alan Daubeney, the son of the house, accompanying them.

'It was that little brute, Jim Carlton, he always disobey orders if he
can! I'm thankful you were on the spot, Allonby, though it would have
been a near case for you if we hadn't got at you when we did. Father
will be furious with the gardeners. They were told to have ladders as
a precaution, but it seems they left them at the other end.'

'Well, no harm's done. I don't think much of a sousing. I dare say
you'll give me a change.'

'Of course.'

Then young Daubeney looked at Bobby.

'Your stick proved useful, youngster; a good thing you were by.'

'Yes,' said Mr. Allonby, with a little smile, 'it was all the support I
needed. I should have gone entirely under if I had not had it at that
identical minute.'

Bobby did not answer, but he tried to smile. It had been more of a
shock to him than to his father, and it was not till he and True were
in the train coming home that he ventured to speak of it.

'Father, you were nearly drownded!'

'I suppose I was, sonny, or I might have been.'

'Oh, what should I've done! what should I've done! That awful crackly
ice!'

'I wish I'd seen it,' said True; 'a lady had such tight hold of my
hand, she wouldn't let me go, and I never knewed it was dad tumbled in.
I saw a boy come along dripping wet, and he looked awful frightened.
If I'd known it was dad I'd have screamed!'

'Nobbles saved father,' said Bobby in an awestruck whisper. 'I believe
he reely did!'

'I think he really did, my boy,' said Mr. Allonby, putting his arm
round Bobby and drawing him to him; 'he and you together. We little
thought this morning, when I told you to leave him at home, what he
would be the means of doing.'

A slow smile spread over Bobby's face. The joy of this discovery quite
wiped out the horror of the scene from his mind. He laid his curly
head against his father's strong arm in infinite content.

'Me and Nobbles is 'stremely happy,' he said.

And then Mr. Allonby stooped and kissed him.

'Oh, Bobby, what a pity it is that lessons must separate us.'

But Bobby was too absorbed in his happiness to heed what