Quite a crowd of fishes had gathered round the two Soles while they were singing this song, and after it was all over one of them went round with his hat and collected pennies just as the real niggers do. Boy noticed while this was going on that the boat was gradually rising to the surface of the sea, and presently he found that the deck was above the water and that he was breathing air again. He could see that they were approaching a Quay with a number of very quaint, old-fashioned buildings beyond it. A great crowd of people were gathered close to the edge of the Quay, and were pointing excitedly at something in the water, and as the boat drew nearer to the shore Boy could hear a number of directions being shouted at once.
“Throw him a rope.”
“Nonsense! He is insensible, and wouldn’t see it.”
“Well, you swim out to him then.”
“Sha’n’t! Do it yourself.”
“Throw stones at him and try and float him ashore that way.”
This last direction seemed to find most favour, and everybody began throwing stones at the object, whatever it was, in the water.
