below, had glided off in
different directions, and he was beneath the surface, struggling wildly
till he rose, and then only to descend again as if in search of the
bottom of the great natural bath-house.

"Why, what a fellow you are!" was the next thing he heard, as Kenneth
held him up. "There, you can touch bottom here. That's right; stand
up. Steady yourself by holding this bit of rock."

Half blind, choking with the harsh, strangling water which had gone
where nature only intended the passage of air, and with a hot, scalding
sensation in his nostrils, and the feeling as of a crick at the back of
his neck, Max clung tenaciously to the piece of rock, and stood with the
water up to his chin, sputtering loudly, and ending with a tremendous
sneeze.

"Bravo! that's better," cried Kenneth. "No, no, don't get out. You've
got over the worst of it now. You ought to try and swim."

"No. I must get out now. Help me," panted Max. "Was I nearly
drowned?"

"Hear that, Scood?" cried Kenneth. "He says, was he nearly drowned?"

"I--I'm not used to it," panted Max.

"Needn't tell us that--need he, Scood? No, no, don't get out."

"I--I must now. I've had enough of it."

"No, you haven't," cried Kenneth, who was paddling near. "Hold on by
the rock and kick out your legs. Try to swim."

"Yes, next time. I'm--"

"If you don't try I'll duck you," cried Kenneth.

"No, no, pray don't! I--"

"If you try to get out, I'll pull you back by your legs. Here, Scood,
come and help."

"Don't, pray don't touch me, and I'll stay," pleaded Max.

"Pray don't touch you!" cried Kenneth. "Here, Scood, he has come down
here to learn to swim, and he's holding on like a girl at a Rothesay
bathing-machine. Let's duck him."

Max uttered an imploring cry, but it was of no use. Kenneth swam up,
and with a touch seemed to pluck him from his hold, and drew him out
into the middle of the place, while directly after, Scood, who seemed
more than ever like a seal, dived into the cave, and came up on Max's
other side.

"Join hands, Scood," cried Kenneth.

Scood passed his hand under Max, and Kenneth caught it, clasping it
beneath the struggling lad's chest.

"Now then, let's swim out with him."

"Ant let him swim back. She'll soon learn," cried Scood.

"No, pray don't! You'll drown me!" gasped Max, as he clung excitedly to
the hands beneath him; and then, to his horror, he felt himself borne
right out of the cave, into th