280 NETHER LOCHABER. 



likely to "be considerably damaged if it reached the rocks on the 

 other side, as the chances were it would, before we could arrive. 

 While thus in a state of anxiety and indecision, our eye fell upon 

 " Albert," then our constant companion, afloat and ashore. 

 " Albert, old fellow," we remarked, " the boat, you see, is adrift ; 

 what's to be done ? " With a grand, deep bass bark in response, 

 he dashed into the water, and ere we could well understand it all, 

 he was a hundred yards away, swimming hastily and rapidly in the 

 direction of the truant yawl. We could only sit down on a rock to 

 watch and wait the upshot of the adventure. Soon overtaking the 

 runaway boat, " Albert " swam once or twice round it, and then 

 observing that the painter was dragging in the water over the bow, 

 he seized the rope in his mouth, and strongly and steadily towed 

 the boat towards us, against a stiff breeze and a considerable ripple 

 of a sea, until he reached the beach, and dropped the painter on 

 the shingle at our feet, and with a jolly, self-approving bark, in 

 response to our words of hearty welcome, that made the mountain 

 echoes ring again, he shook a perfect shower-bath of brine from his 

 shaggy coat, and scampered away along the sands to dry himself. 

 He was manifestly proud, as he well ought to be, of an exploit so 

 timeously and sagaciously performed, and so, be sure, were we. 

 " Albert's " readiness to take to the water was, on one occasion at 

 least, attended by rather awkward circumstances. One beautiful 

 summer afternoon, a young Oxford friend and ourselves were in 

 the same boat, with " Albert," as usual, for a companion. It was 

 too calm for sailing, and we were too lazy to row, so we allowed 

 the boat to drift about at " its own sweet will," while we lounged 

 on the thwarts and read the papers, of special interest then on ac- 

 count of the Crimean war. We were half a mile from land, and our 

 friend by-and-by suggested that a swim in the invitingly cool, clear 

 sea would be a good thing before returning home to dinner. As he 

 was an excellent swimmer, with whom, for a small wager, we had 



