im out in daylight."

"You wait till I get out of my uniform," said the middy, stubbornly,
"I'll show you, my fine fellow. I've practised diving a good deal.
Some day, if we get to the right place in the ocean, I mean to have a go
down with the sponge divers, and if I'm ever in the South Seas I mean to
try diving for pearl shell."

"Well," said Aleck, rather sadly, "I've warned you, and I suppose it is
of no use for me to say any more?"

"Not a bit," said the middy, dragging off his second stocking. "You
make fast the dry end of the line round my noble chest. Not too tight,
mind, and a knot that won't slip."

The young sailor possessed the greater will power now, for Aleck was yet
half stunned by what he had gone through. He obeyed every order he
received, and carefully knotted on the rope.

"Now, are you ready?" said the middy. "Feel up to hauling me back if I
don't get through?"

"Yes."

"And, mind, when I am through I shall not drag you. No, no, don't untie
your end of the rope; you'll want that. Now, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Very well, then, as soon as I'm through I shall get on a dry rock and
signal to you to come. Then you'll slip in and swim to the rock again,
and take a header off it. Don't bungle it this time, and when you feel
my touch at the rope, mind it's not meant to haul, only to guide you to
where I'm sitting."

"But what about our clothes?" said Aleck, drearily.

"Bother our clothes! We want to save our skins and not our clothes.
Now, then, ready?"

"Yes, if you will go."

"Will go? Look here!"

The lad sprang, feet foremost, into the water, and rose directly from
out of the depths, to strike out, and as Aleck tried hard to follow his
movements, he heard him reach the weedy rock, drag himself out, and the
rope was gently drawn more and more through his hands as the middy
succeeded in getting erect upon the stone, close to its edge.

"See that?" he shouted.

"Yes."

"That's what you ought to have done. Now, then, slacken the line well.
I'm taking a long, deep breath, ready for you know what. That's it.
Ready--ho!"

The middy sprang into the air, and very dimly Aleck saw that he curved
himself over, and the next moment his hands divided the water, and he
plunged in for his dive almost without a splash, while as the rope ran
swiftly through his hands Aleck felt a flash of energy run through him,
and stood ready for any emergency that might befall.

Then a feelin