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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
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