close to him with
a rope attached to it.

"Hold on to this, young gentleman, until Master Harry comes to help you.
Don't be afraid, and you'll be all right."

Dick caught hold of the grating, and wisely did as he was advised. I,
hearing his cries, had in the meantime turned round, and getting up to
him, took a rope which Truck heaved to me, and fastened it round his
waist.

"You are all right now," I said; "but before you attempt to do anything
else, learn to strike out with your feet with regular strokes. Pull
your knees up, and then shove them out horizontally even with the
surface of the water. There, that will do capitally; you see how fast
you shove the grating ahead."

Truck on this slackened out more rope; and Dick, delighted, soon carried
the rope out as far as it would go. Then, turning the grating round, I
made him push it back again towards the vessel.

"Now rest a bit--just as I am doing," I said; "don't move, but let your
legs and body float up; just touch the grating with your arms stretched
out, and as much of your body as possible under the water. There, you
see, you float like a cork. Now you observe that, if you remain
perfectly quiet, the water will float your body. All the grating now
does is to support your head; but if you were to turn on your back, and
let your head sink down into the water, with only your face above, the
water would support your head."

Dick did as I suggested, and was quite surprised to find how perfectly
he floated.

"Now, you see, when swimming, you require only the movement of your arms
to keep your head above water, although they also assist you to progress
and to guide yourself; but the feet make most of the onward movement.
Just try without the grating, and the rope will bring you up if you
sink."

Dick, who was quite rested again, did as I advised, and managed to get
from one end of the vessel to the other, although it must be confessed
that more water ran down his throat than he found pleasant. I then
showed him how he could tread water, by keeping his body perfectly
upright with his arms folded; here was a still greater surprise to him,
and he was thus able to keep his chin well out of the water, and
sometimes, by striking hard, to raise his shoulders even above the
surface.

"This is capital!" he exclaimed. "Though I had read about swimming, I
had no notion how it was done; and I could not have supposed it possible
that water could float me so eas