"Oh, let the nipper see what he can do!" said Armitage, laughing. He was standing on the diving-board. "There's nothing like beginning early. Can you swim, kiddie?"
"Not—not far," said Toppin cautiously. "I can swim with my arms all right, only I sometimes put one foot on the ground."
"If you don't swim, you'll sink, you know," explained Armitage. "This is deep water."
"Not so very; only five feet," rejoined Toppin. "I'm not funky. Of course I know how to swim. I've watched frogs awfully closely."
"Well, then, up with your hands—same as you saw the other two."
Toppin lifted them high, the tips of his fingers met in the approved style, and he took a long breath. Then, gradually, his hands fell back to his sides, and the breath ended in a sigh. Armitage pushed the child impatiently aside.
"Get away, you silly little coward! I'm not going to waste my time standing over you. Go back to the shallow end, and dance at the ropes. We'll come over and duck you."
Toppin was quivering, but his face flushed crimson, and, thrusting himself forward once more, he laid a hand pleadingly on Armitage's wrist. At the same moment a clatter on the stone stairs told of the approach of section number two.
"Give us one more chance, Armie, please! I promise not to funk it again. Listen, they're just coming!"
"You'll not do it," said Armitage.