_sir_. Shan't go a step!"

Willy was a boy that meant to mind his mother.

"But I s'pose you'll have to go if I take you."

Willy caught himself by the left ear. He felt the need of holding on by
something; still he was somehow afraid he should have to go in spite of
his ears. Was there ever such a boy as Gid for teasing?

"Why, Gid Noonin, I told you my mother said--"

"No, you didn't! You haven't told me a thing! You stutter so I can't
understand a word."

At the idea of his stuttering, Willy laughed outright; and during that
moment of weakness was picked up and set astride of Gid's shoulders.

"You put me down! My mother says I shan't play with you; so there!"
cried Willy, struggling manfully, yet a little pleased, I must confess,
to think he couldn't possibly help himself.

"Ride away, ride away. Billy shall ride," sang Gid, bouncing his burden
up and down.

Willy felt like a dry leaf in an eddy, which is whirled round and round,
yet is all the while making faster and faster for the hungry dimple in
the middle, where there is no getting out again.

"O, dear, Gid's such a great big boy, and I'm _only_ just eight,"
thought he, jolting up and down like a bag of meal on horseback. Well,
it would be good fun, after all, to go in swimming,--splendid fun, when
there was somebody to hold you up, and keep you from drowning. If you
could forget that your mother had told you not to play with Gid Noonin!

"If you get the string of that medal wet you'll catch it," said Gid.
"Better take it off and put it in your pocket."

"Just a-going to," said Willy. "D'you think I's a fool?"

Well, wasn't it nice! The water feeling so ticklish all over you, and--

Why, no, it wasn't nice at all; it was just frightful! After two or
three dives, Gid had snapped his fingers in his face, and gone off and
left him. Willy couldn't swim any more than a fish-hook. Where _was_
Gid?

"The water's up to my chin. Come, Gid, quick!"

What would Seth and Stephen say if they knew how he was abused? No--his
mother? No--Love, and Caleb, and Liddy? How they would feel! There
wasn't any bottom to this brook, or if there ever had been it had
dropped out.

"O, Gid, I can't stand up."

Gid was in plain sight now, on the bank, pretending to skip stones. Gid
was like a Chinese juggler; he could make believe do one thing, while he
was really doing another.

"Quick! Quick! Quick! I shall dro--ow--own!"

Gid took his own time; but as he swam sl