s it were, up one minute to the top
of a little ridge, and then sank them the next down, down, out of sight,
into what seemed to be profound darkness whenever the pier light was
blotted out.

"I--I--can't keep on," panted Dick at last, with a piteous cry. "Tell
father--"

He could say no more, for, striking out feebly, he had allowed his mouth
to sink beneath the surface, and breathing in a quantity of strangling
water he began to beat the surface, and then felt himself seized.

Involuntarily, and with that natural instinct that prompts the drowning
to cling to anything they touch, Dick's hands clutched despairing at the
stout arm that came to his help, but only to feel himself shaken off and
snatched back, so that his face was turned towards the stars.

"Float! Hold still! Hands under water!" a voice yelled in his ear; and
half stunned, half insensible, he obeyed, getting his breath better at
times, at others feeling the strangling water sweep over his face.

It was a time of great peril, but there was aid such as neither Josh nor
Will had counted upon close at hand.

"I'll keep him afloat till I'm tired," Josh had said hoarsely, "and then
you must have a turn. You can manage to make the shore, can't you?"

"Yes," said Will; "but we--we mustn't leave him, Josh."

"Who's going to?" growled Josh fiercely. "You keep aside me."

They swam on, every stroke making the water flash, and the
phosphorescence, like pale golden oil, sweep aside and ripple and flow
upon the surface. The sky was now almost black but quite ablaze with
stars, and the big lamp at the pierhead sent its cheery rays out, as if
to show them the way to go, but in the transparent darkness it seemed to
be miles upon miles away, while the sturdy swimmers felt as if they got
no nearer, toil as they might.

"I'm going to give him over to you, lad," said Josh in his sing-song
voice, for he had calmed down now. "I'll soon take him again, lad,
but--"

"Hooray, Josh!" cried back Will; and he struck off to the left.

"What is it, lad?"

"Boat! the boat!"

Josh wrenched himself up in the water, and looked over Dick, to see,
dimly illumined by the golden ripples of the water, the outline of the
boat, flush with the surface, its shape just seen by the
phosphorescence, and he bore towards it.

"T'other side, Will, lad," cried Josh as he swam vigorously over the few
intervening yards, half drowning Dick by forcing his head under water
again and a