st, and
we were deluged by every wave, while the greater ones that came every
now and then threatened to snatch us away; but everything was as if it
occurred in a dream.

Somebody said to me once that Bob Chowne and I behaved in a very heroic
manner, standing by our school-fellow as we did; but I don't think there
was much heroism in it. We couldn't go and leave him to drown. I
wanted to run away, and Bob Chowne afterwards said that he longed to go,
but, as he put it, poor fellow, it seemed so mean to leave him to drown
all alone.

At all events we stayed, and, as I say, what followed appears to me now
to have been dreamy and strange. The water came splashing over us
always, but every now and then a great solid wave drove us together,
lifting us to strike against the rocks, and then letting us fall
heavily, but only to leap in again, and snatch us up as they beat, and
swirled, and hissed, and dragged at us like wild creatures, and if we
had not held on so tightly to poor Bigley, we must have been washed
outwards from the shore.

As I say I don't know how long this lasted, only that we were getting
more and more helpless and confused, when a tremendous wave came rolling
in and struck full in the grotto-like opening where poor Bigley was
wedged. I felt as if my arms had been suddenly wrenched from their
sockets, and then I was being carried out by the retiring wave.

It was so natural to us sea-side boys that I involuntarily struck out,
tossing my head so as to get the water out of my eyes, and then I saw
that Bob Chowne was swimming too, a short distance from me.

My next glance was in the direction of the little cave now some ten
yards away, about whose mouth the water was rising and falling; and as I
looked, there was nothing but water; then Bigley seemed to crawl out
quickly into the next rising wave, and then he too seemed to be swimming
towards the shore.

It appeared to be so impossible that I could not believe it, or do
anything but swim in amongst the rocks where the long slimy sea-tangle
was washing to and fro; but there was no fancy about it, as I found, for
Bigley was standing knee-deep in the water, and ready to give us each a
hand as we staggered in.

"Why, Big," I exclaimed, "how did you manage to get out?"

He could not answer me, nor yet Bob Chowne, when he repeated the
question, but walked slowly and heavily up towards the cliff, and sat
down upon a dry stone, to rest his head upon his hand