For the next five minutes I know not what I did. The intensity of
my feelings almost bereft me of my senses. But I was recalled to
myself by Peterkin seizing me by the shoulder and staring wildly
into my face, while he exclaimed, "Ralph! Ralph! perhaps he has
only fainted. Dive for him, Ralph!"

It seemed strange that this did not occur to me sooner. In a
moment I rushed to the edge of the rocks, and, without waiting to
throw off my garments, was on the point to spring into the waves,
when I observed something black rising up through the green object.
In another moment Jack's head rose to the surface, and he gave a
wild shout, flinging back the spray from his locks, as was his wont
after a dive. Now we were almost as much amazed at seeing him re-
appear, well and strong, as we had been at first at his non-
appearance; for, to the best of our judgment, he had been nearly
ten minutes under water, perhaps longer, and it required no
exertion of our reason to convince us that this was utterly
impossible for mortal man to do and retain his strength and
faculties. It was therefore with a feeling akin to superstitious
awe that I held down my hand and assisted him to clamber up the
steep rocks. But no such feeling affected Peterkin. No sooner did
Jack gain the rocks and seat himself on one, panting for breath,
than he threw his arms round his neck, and burst into a flood of
tears. "Oh, Jack, Jack!" said he, "where were you? What kept you
so long?"

After a few moments Peterkin became composed enough to sit still
and listen to Jack's explanation, although he could not restrain
himself from attempting to wink every two minutes at me, in order