Jimmy said nothing. He sprang into the air head foremost toward Piggy,
who dived from sight. His pursuer saw the direction Piggy took and
followed him. The boys were a few feet apart when Jimmy came to the
surface, puffing and spouting and shaking the water from his eyes and
hair. He hesitated in his pursuit. Piggy observed the hesitation, and
with a quick overhand movement shot a stinging stream of water from
the ball of his hand into his antagonist's face. Then Piggy turned
on his side and swam swiftly to shallow water, where he stood and
splashed his victim, who was lumbering toward shore with his eyes
shut, panting loudly. With every splash Piggy said, "How's that, Jim?"
or "Take a bite o' this," or "Want a drink?" When Jimmy got where he
could walk on the creek bottom, he made a feint of fighting back,
but he soon ceased, and stood by, gasping for breath, before saying,
"Let's quit."

Then followed the fun of ducking, the scuffling and the capers of the
young human animals at play--at play even as gods in the elder days.
Mealy saw it all through envious eyes and with a pricking conscience,
as he doggedly fumbled the myriad buttons which his mother had
fastened upon his pretty clothes. He heard Piggy dare Abe across the
creek, and call him a cowardly calf, and say, "Any one't 'ull take a
dare'll steal sheep." Mealy saw Jimmy grin as he cracked rocks under
water while the other boys were diving, and watched Old Abe, as
he made the waves rise under his chin, swimming after the fleeing
culprit. He saw Abe catch Jimmy and hold his head under water until
Mealy's smile faded to a horrified grin. Then he saw the victim and
the victor come merrily to the shallows, laughing as though nothing
unusual had occurred. It was high revel in Boyville, and the satyrs
were in the midst of their joy.