'A girl have muscle! It's just a bit of fat!'

The tone of scorn proved too much for Nancy's self-control; with a
passionate exclamation she made a quick rush across the plank, there was
a struggle, and the result was what might have been expected--a great
splash, a scream from Nancy, and both little figures were immersed in the
stream. Happily the water was not very deep, and after a few minutes'
scrambling they were on dry ground, considerably sobered by their
immersion. Teddy began to laugh a little shamefacedly, but Nancy was very
near tears.

'I'll tell my mother you nearly drowned me dead.'

'If you're a sailor's daughter, you oughtn't to be afraid of the water;
sailors and fish are always in the sea.'

'They're never in it; never!'

'Well, they're on it, as close as they can be to it. Why, you're nearly
crying! But you're only a girl, and a sailor's girl can't be very
brave--not like a soldier's girl would be.'

'Sailors are much braver than soldiers,' said Nancy, quickly swallowing
down her tears; 'and when they do fight they're in much more danger than
the soldiers. Father said, how would soldiers like the earth to swallow
them up just when they've been fighting hard and got the victory? That's
what the sea does to the poor sailors. Their ship begins to sink, and
they send up three cheers for queen and country, and then stand on deck
with folded arms, and go down, down, down to the bottom of the sea, and
never make a cry!'