“Oh do come in, Fred!” echoed Philip; “it isn’t a bit cold, and not deep; and you ought to learn to float and swim.”
“Oh come on,” said Harry again.
Fred felt that he would like to go in and have a dip, for the water looked so cool and bright and clear; but there was a certain amount of timidity to be got over; he had never been in anything but a bath in his life, and plunging at once into a river was a novel feat that he could hardly summon courage to attempt. But at last the persuasions of his cousins had the desired effect, and Fred quickly undressed, and then stood upon the bank, afraid to take his first dip; but again were the persuasions of his cousins brought into play, and the London boy took his first step into the water, and then made a half slip, so that he came down sideways and went right under the surface, but regained his feet, with the water singing and rumbling in his ears, his eyes close shut, and the drops streaming down him as fast as they could run.
“Oh—ah—ah,” said Fred, gasping.
“Haw—haw—haw!” burst from Harry, as he laughed heartily at his cousin.
“Don’t grin like that, Hal,” said Philip, helping Fred out of his difficulty, and steadying him as he stood breast high in the water, rubbing his eyes, and trying to get rid of the feeling of bewilderment that had come over him upon his sudden immersion.
“Oh, isn’t it queer?” said Fred, as soon as he had finished gasping, and spitting out the water he had in his mouth.
“Not a bit of it,” said Harry, “only you were in such a hurry to get under the water. Now, then, try and swim: see me go dog’s paddle,” and then the young dog set to paddling away as though he had lived in the water half his lifetime. “Hold his chin up, Phil, and he’ll soon do it.”
But Fred did not want to have his chin held up, nor yet to be touched; he preferred to wade gently about in the clear water by himself, while his cousins swam backwards and forwards across the river—here not twenty yards broad.
“Make haste and learn to swim, Fred, it’s so easy,” said Harry, “and such capital fun. Look here; see me dive.” And then, turning heels upwards in the water, he went down out of sight, to Fred’s great horror, but came up again directly, and then floated upon his back, swam sideways, and did other feats that seemed to Fred little short of wonders—so easily and deftly were they performed.