is
life in this mad exploit? And when John Ellerthorpe dived to the bottom
of 'Clarke's Bit,' to gratify a number of young men who had 'more money
than wit,' and struggled in the water with a bag of coals on his back,
he put himself on a par with those men who place their lives in imminent
danger by dancing on ropes, swinging on cords, tying themselves into
knots like a beast, or crawling on ceilings like some creeping thing!
But when he used his skill to save his fellow creatures, he was a true
hero, and was justified in perilling his own life, considering that by
so doing the safety of others might be secured.

We shall close this chapter by recording a few of his deeds of reckless
daring.

* * * * *

[Sidenote: JOHN'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT SWIMMING.]

'My first attempt at swimming took place at Hessle, when I was about
twelve years of age. There was a large drain used for the purpose of
receiving the water from both the sea and land. My father managed the
sluice, which was used for excluding, retaining, and regulating the flow
of water into this drain. It was a first rate place for lads to bathe
in, and I have sometimes bathed in it ten times a day; indeed, I regret
to say, I spent many days there when I ought to have been at school. I
soon got to swim in this drain, but durst not venture into the harbour.
But one day I accidentally set my dirty feet upon the shirt of a boy who
was much older and bigger than myself, and in a rage he took me up in
his arms and threw me into the harbour. I soon felt safe there, nor did
I leave the harbour till I had crossed and recrossed it thirty-two
times. The next day I swam the whole length of the harbour twice, and
from that day I began to match myself with expert swimmers, nor did I
fear swimming with the best of them. Some other lads were as venturesome
as myself, and we used to go up the Humber with the tides, for several
miles at once. I remember on one occasion it blew a strong gale of wind
from S.W., several vessels sank in the Humber, and a number of boats
broke adrift, while a heavy sea was running: I stripped and swam to one
of the boats, got into her, and brought her to land, for which act the
master of the boat gave me five shillings. During the same gale a keel
came ashore at Hessle; I stripped and swam to her and brought a rope on
shore, by the assistance of which, two men, a woman, and two children
escaped from the vessel. The tide was r