Part 59 (2/2)

”It's all seaweed, and horribly slippery”

”Neversound arose, and the middy could just , or rather dragging, himself on to the slimy rock, whose top was about a foot above the surface of the water

”Stop a minute or two first,” said theto say ”breath,” but before the word could be uttered Aleck, who had drawn hi from under hi heavily upon the weed-covered rock As it was he ca head first in a sharp incline down and dohile, obeying his first impulse, he struck out sharply

The middy was about to obey his first iin to haul his cohtened round the line, but as he awoke to the fact that it was gliding through his hands in obedience to the regular pulsation of the ht, and waited while, foot by foot, the rope glided on and the transparent water grew e to see

Once he fancied he could clearly ure, but directly after he kneas a great, waving, flag-like asp and turned cold

”He couldn't have got his breath for the dive,” he said to hi him helplessly away Half the line must have run out, and perhaps he's insensible No; that oes in jerks, and--he has stopped He nal to pull hian at once to haul in, and then the cold feeling becaht at the second haul, and it was perfectly evident that the swiht fast

What to do?

The h, and in those perilous moments, full of horror for his companion's sake, he hauled till he dared pull nonow a sudden thought, he relaxed the strain, and the rope seemed to be snatched back towards Aleck

”That can't be a signal,” he said to hiain, recovered the line lost, and to his intense delight he found that the swi him rapidly back to where he stood The lad's action was as rapid now as he could pass hand over hand, and in a very short space of tie, and then, taking hold of the rope where it passed round Aleck's chest, he dragged him out, half insensible, upon the rocks

Another half ht have been fatal, but Aleck had so, he was able to sit up

”Take--the rope off!” he panted

This was done, and in a fewfreely and able to talk

”I didn't get a fair start,” he said, hoarsely ”I slipped, and went in before I was ready; but I got on all right for a bit till I seemed to be sucked in between two pieces of rock, and felt nalled to you”

”I hauled directly”

”Yes, and it seeh between the two rocks again How did you o so as to make a fresh start”

”Did you?” said Aleck, quietly ”Ah, I didn't know anything about that

I only knew that it was very horrible, and I thought it was all over

It was very near, wasn't it?”

”Oh, I don't know,” said the middy, coolly ”You say that you didn't have a fair start?”

”No; it was that fall But it's queer work You can't rinds your head up against the weedy rock”

”But you got nearly through, didn't you?”