ed them. They had
turned and were coming back straight for the mouth of the little
harbour, Phil leading and Joe a dozen yards behind. It looked like a
race from the way in which both boys were keeping under and "Brownie"
found it more exciting than the other contest. And then, while he
watched, something happened, and he sprang to his feet and gazed seaward
with wildly beating heart.

Joe had stopped swimming and was on his back with one brown arm held
aloft. If he made any outcry "Brownie" failed to hear it, but apparently
he had, for Phil was turning now and hurrying back with short, quick
strokes. But before he had covered half the distance separating him from
the other, the watcher on shore uttered an involuntary cry of alarm. Joe
was no longer in sight!

"Brownie" looked despairingly toward the boys in the pool, but the
nearest was still a long way from the channel. Confused thoughts of the
boats were cast aside and "Brownie" threw himself from the rock, hitting
the water like a barrel, and turned into the channel. As he felt the
tug of the tide he experienced a revulsion of fright, for he had no
stomach for the task ahead of him. "Brownie's" swimming was usually done
in safer water than that he was making for. But he tried his best to
forget the depths below him and the long swim ahead, to remember only
that Joe was in trouble out there and that Phil, probably by now
somewhat exhausted, would never be able to bring him to shore
unassisted.

The long swells hid the others from him. Once, though, poised for a
moment on the round summit of a bank of water, he glimpsed ere he
descended into the green valley beyond, a darker spot ahead and so found
his direction. He knew better than to tire himself out by desperate
strokes. His only hope of getting there and getting back was to conserve
his strength. All sorts of thoughts came and went in a strange jumble.
Sometimes it seemed that he was making no progress, that the slow waves
were bearing him remorselessly back to the cove, or, at least just
defeating the strokes of his arms and legs. Breathing became laboured
and once a veritable panic seized him and it was all he could do to keep
from turning and swimming wildly back toward shore. Instead, though,
fighting his fears, he turned on his back for a moment with his round
face to the blue breeze-swept sky, and took long, grateful breaths of
the sun-sweet air. Above him a grey gull swept in a wide circle,
uttering har