nd Tibe mistook it for a meadow.
Standing at a considerable elevation on the road above, he leaped down
with happy confidence, only to be deceived as many wiser than he have
been, by appearances. Bulldogs have virtues all their own, but they
are not spaniels; and there was despair in Tibe's brown eyes, as he
threw one last look of appeal at his friends before disappearing under
the green carpet.

Up he came in a second, covered with green beads, his black mouth choked
with them. Although not a water-dog, instinct kept him afloat, and he
began to swim awkwardly, forging farther from shore instead of nearer.
In a moment he had tangled his legs among thick-growing, ropey stems of
water-lilies, and frightened and confused at finding himself a prisoner,
went down again under the green surface.

Meanwhile his mistress was half mad with fright, and would not listen to
Starr's assurance that the dog was in no danger.

"He'll bob up serenely and swim close to us; then I'll hook my stick in
his collar and pull him out," the Mariner said cheerfully; but she
pushed him away, sobbing.

Now, I never could bear to see a woman cry, even a woman in blue
spectacles; so I did not wait for Tibe to come up and recover presence
of mind, as he probably would, but splashed down myself onto the green
carpet.

The water hardly reached to my hips, so there was no bravery in the
feat, and I felt a fool as I went wading out to the spot where, by this
time, the dog's head had again appeared among the water-lily pads, the
living image of a gargoyle. But as I hauled him out, with a word of
encouragement, the poor chap's gratitude repaid me. Looking like a
_vert-de-gris_ statue of a dog, he licked such portions of me as he
could reach with a green tongue, and blessed me with his beautiful eyes.

When I had him on _terra firma_ we both shook ourselves, sending an
emerald spray flying in all directions; and then abortive attempts were
made to dry Tibe with the handkerchiefs of the united party. A few
hurried "Thank you's" were all I got from the Chaperon at the time, but
on board "Lorelei" she had something more to say.

Before starting, I had to go to my stateroom on "Waterspin" to change
wet clothes for dry ones, and when I was ready to take up my part of
skipper, no one was on deck save the Chaperon and Tibe--a subdued Tibe
buttoned up in a child's cape, which his mistress insisted on buying in
Amsterdam for him to wear in cold weather.

"My