AN UNTIMELY FRIEND. 281 



the day before done a considerable distance, we readily agreed. 

 We had long known, however, how difficult it is to get into 

 a buoyant, floating boat of such a comparatively small size as ours 

 was, without any purchase to aid but such as is afforded by the 

 unstable water, and it was arranged that he should have his dip 

 first, and when he was tired of it, and we had helped him on board, 

 that we should have a plunge in our turn. " Albert," who had not 

 been consulted in our arrangement, was stretched the while at 

 length, half or wholly asleep, along the bottom of the boat. When 

 he had stripped, our young friend stood up in the bow, with one 

 foot on the foremost thwart and the other on the gunwale, and 

 with a loud shout took a splendid header into the cool, green 

 depths, disappearing like an arrow, with a clean, clear cut, that 

 hardly left a ripple on the surface. " Albert," who clearly thought 

 it an accident, and that the young man's life was in danger, with 

 one brave bound, and before we could prevent him, was instantly 

 over the side, and, diving after the swimmer, met him as he was 

 returning to the surface, and laid hold of him awkwardly, though 

 with the best intention, by the fleshy part of the left arm near the 

 shoulder. When they appeared on the surface, the swimmer, who 

 had manifestly lost all his self-possession, struggled violently to free 

 himself from the dog, and would certainly have been drowned by 

 his own struggles and the very exertions intended by the noble 

 animal to save his life, if we had not quickly rowed the boat along- 

 side, and taking our friend very unceremoniously by his " Hyperion 

 curls," dragged him on board, panting and sputtering as only the 

 half-drowned and wholly frightened can pant and sputter in such 

 circumstances. On examination, his arm was found to be less hurt 

 by ithe dog's teeth than we expected it to be ; a firm and friendly 

 grip with such kindly intentions as actuated the honest would-be 

 rescuer being a very different thing from a bite and worry in good 

 earnest. His back and shoulders, however, were seriously scratched 



