62 THE SWAN AND HER CREW. 



" He has got into a bog-hole," said Jimmy, " come along as 

 fast as you can." 



They ran with breathless speed to where he had disappeared, 

 and so deceptive are distances on flat surfaces, that they were 

 surprised to see how far he had gone. When they reached 

 him they saw him up to his waist in the soft bog, whose bright 

 vivid green would have shown its danger had he not been too 

 eager in his pursuit of the butterfly to notice it. He was 

 rapidly sinking deeper into the mud, which held him fast with 

 cruel tenacity, and sucked him further into its horrid embrace 

 the more he struggled to get out of it. He had taken a big 

 jump right into the very middle of it, and he was too far from 

 them to reach their hands. His face was pale, but he was cool 

 and collected. 



"All right," he said, "don't be frightened. I've got the 

 butterfly, and if you will do what I tell you, I will soon get 

 out of this fix. Dick, do you run to the yacht and get a rope, 

 and you, Jimmy, get some reeds, and pitch them to me to put 

 under my arms, and keep me from sinking further into this 

 fearful mess." 



Dick sped off like an arrow, and Jimmy tore up a bundle 

 of reeds and threw them to his friend, who had now sunk up 

 to his shoulders, and as the reeds broke beneath his weight 

 he sunk deeper still. 



" I hope Dick won't be long, or it will be all up with me, 

 Jimmy," he said, and brave as he was, he could not keep his 

 lips from quivering. Jimmy was in an agony of excitement. 

 He took off his coat, and threw one end of it to Frank, but 

 he could not reach him. Then he did what even raised a smile 

 on Frank's face, imminent as was his danger. He took off 

 his trousers and threw one leg to Frank, retaining the other in 

 his hand. Pulling hard at this improvised rope, he held Frank 

 up until Dick came tearing up with the rope trailing behind him. 



" Thank God ! " said Frank, and Jimmy then knew by his 

 fervent tone how great he knew the danger had been. Clinging 

 to the rope, he was hauled out by his companions, and so tightly 

 did the mud hold him, that it took all their strength to drag him 

 out. They walked slowly and quietly back to the yacht, and 

 Frank changed his clothes, and lay down and was very quiet 

 for some time, and they none of them recovered their usual 

 spirits for some time after this occurrence. 



