"No, ye're not!" cried Mr. Lilburn, laying a tight grasp upon his arm;
"there's nobody there; and if there was, what could a bit, frail laddie
like you do to rescue him? You'd only be dragged under yourself."
"Nobody there? oh, I'm so glad!" cried Harold with a hearty laugh, as he
jumped up, snatched his clothes from the ground and sprang hastily back
just in time to escape the next wave. "But you gave us a real scare this
time, Cousin Ronald."
"You gave me one," said Mr. Lilburn, joining in the laugh. "I thought
you'd be in the sea and may be out of reach of help before I could catch
up to you. You took no time to deliberate."
"Deliberate when somebody was drowning? There wouldn't have been a second
to lose."
"You'd just have thrown your own life away, lad, if there had been anybody
there. Don't you know it's an extremely hazardous thing for a man to
attempt to rescue a drowning person? They're so apt to catch, and grip you
in a way to deprive you of the power to help yourself and to drag you
under with them.
"I honor you for your courage, but I wish, my boy, you'd promise me never
to do the like again; at least not till you're grown up and have some
strength.
Pages:
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297