"You've doon your best to save me, but you canna do't mair; gang awa' and save your ain sel'." "No I won't, Mr Macdougall," I cried, stopping and treading water for a minute or two, while he imitated my example.

"If I'm saved, you shall be saved; and if you drown, I'll drown too!" "That's bravely said, laddie," he replied, "but your streength will na let you bear my lumpy karkus.

I'm a meesereeble sinner, ye ken, and it's na richt as a brave lad lik' you should lose his ain life for a worthless loon lik' me!" "No more of that, Mr Macdougall!" I cried, stoutly.

"I made up my mind to try and save you when I jumped overboard after you; and save you now I will, with God's help--so there's no use trying to prevent me! Now put your hand on my shoulder again, for it's time for us to be moving on after our rest." The short "spell off" from swimming had rested me, and I struck out once more with renewed vigour, my progress with the mate in tow being now much more rapid, for the sea was calming down, beginning to feel the cessation of the wind.
"We'll reach the ship, never fear!" I said presently, seeing her still in the distance when we rose upon a wave from the watery abyss in which the previous dialogue had taken place.
"I hope so, laddie, I hope so," said Mr Macdougall, but his words did not sound very cheering, and I went on swimming hard, saying nothing further.

By-and-bye, just when my strength began to fail again, and I felt that I could never get over the distance that separated us from the vessel, I saw to my joy a large object floating near.
"Hullo!" I cried, "here's a boat, or raft, or something in sight; cheer up, Mr Macdougall, we're saved!" But, he was so worn out with the exposure, and his previous efforts to keep up before I went to his assistance, that he had now almost lost the power of speech, only moaning something like "Eh, laddie ?" behind me.
I saw, therefore, that I must now trust entirely to my own exertions for our joint safety--the more so since that, as the mate lost his consciousness, although still keeping hold of me in the way I had directed him, his limp, passive weight pressed me down lower and lower in the water; so, putting out all my energies for a final effort, and clenching my teeth together with grim determination, I struggled forward, swimming as hard as I could towards the floating object I had seen, and which I had caught sight of only just in time.
One stroke--two--three--and a roller throws me back again.