“Lads! lads!” cried Mr. Lilburn, putting himself to his utmost speed to overtake Harold in time to prevent him from plunging into the sea, “are ye mad? are ye daft?  There’s nobody there, lads; ’twas only Cousin Ronald at his old tricks again.”

As he caught up to Harold, the boy’s coat and vest lay on the ground, and he was down beside them, tugging at his boots and shouting “Hold on!  I’m coming,” while a great wave came rolling in and dashed over him, wetting him from head to foot.

“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.”

“And leave a fellow-creature to perish!” cried the boy almost indignantly.  “O cousin, could you ask me to be so selfish?”

“Not selfish, lad; only prudent.  If you want to rescue a drowning man, throw him a rope, or reach him the end of a pole, or do anything else you can without putting yourself within reach of his hands.”

Rosie, left behind by all her companions, looked this way and that in fright and perplexity, then ran after Herbert; as that was the direction to take her to her father and mother.

Mr. Travilla and Eddie had started toward the beach to join the others and were the first to hear Herbert’s cry.

“Oh, it was Cousin Ronald,” said the latter; “nobody goes in bathing at this hour.”

“Probably,” said his father, “yet—­ah, there’s the life boat out now and moving toward the spot.”

With that they all ran in the same direction and came up to Mr. Lilburn and Harold just as the boy had resumed his coat and the gentleman concluded his exhortation.

They all saw at once that Eddie had been correct in his conjecture.

“Hallo! where’s your drowning man?” he called.  “Or, was it a woman?”

“Ask Cousin Ronald,” said Harold laughing, “he’s best acquainted with the person.”