water in the pool seemed to
be bearing him along, and now he was gliding up, and then down again,
while his companion kept on talk, talk, talk, in a low murmur, and all
was blank once more.

Then a change came, and Nic lay thinking a little more clearly.

"Are you there, Pete Burge?" he said.

"Yes, I'm here, master."

"What was that you were saying to me just now?"

"Just now?" said the man wonderingly. "Well, you do go on queer, zir.
That was the day afore yes'day. But I zay, you are better now, aren't
you?"

"Better? I don't know. I thought I was drowned."

"Poor lad!" said Pete softly; but it seemed to sting Nic.

"What do you mean by that?" he said feebly.

"Zorry for you, master."

"Why?"

"'Cause you've been zo bad."

"Been so bad?" said Nic thoughtfully. "Why have I been so bad? It's
very strange."

Pete Burge made no reply, and there was silence again, till it was
broken by Nic, who said suddenly:

"Have you been very bad too?"

"Me, zir? Yes, horrid. Thought I was going to the locker, as they call
it. Doctor zaid I ought to have been took to the hospital."

"Were you nearly drowned?" said Nic after a pause, during which he had
to fight hard to keep his thinking power under control.

"Was I nearly drowned, zir?" said the man, with a low chuckle. "Zeems
to me I was nearly everythinged. Head smashed, chopped, choked, and
drowned too."

Nic was silent again, for he could not take in so many ideas as this at
once, and it was some minutes before he could collect himself for
another question.

"But you are better now?"

"Oh yes, zir, I'm better now. Doctor zays I'm to get up to-morrow."

"The doctor! Was that the doctor whom I heard talking yesterday?"

"Yes: two of 'em; they've pulled uz round wonderful. You frightened me
horrid, master, the way you went on, and just when I was most bad. You
made me feel it was all my fault, and I couldn't zleep for thinking that
if you died I'd killed you. But I zay, master, you won't die now, will
you?"

"How absurd!" said Nic, with a weak laugh. "Of course not. Why should
I die now?"

"Ah, why indeed, when you're getting better?"

There was another silence before Nic began again.

"I've been wondering," he said, "why it is that we can be going round
the salmon-pool like this, and yet be lying here talking about the
doctor and being bad."

"Ay, 'tis rum, sir."

"Yes, it puzzles me. Look here; didn't we have a fight with you