"I want to take the dogs to water." "Take the dogs to water!" grumbled the man.

"Why can't they take themselves?
Hi! Leather! Come and untie these dogs." The younger man left the oxen he was loosening, and approached Nic in a surly way, hardly glancing at him; but for a few moments the chain-knot baffled him, while the dogs bounded about wildly.
"Hold them by the collars for a minute," said Leather harshly.
Nic obeyed, feeling mentally lower now, for he seemed to be the servant instead of the other.
Then he felt better, for the man softened a little in his manner.
"Poor brutes!" he said: "prisoners and thirsty.

Steady, my lads, steady!" "Oh, they won't be prisoners long," said Nic.

"Father's afraid that they'd run back and try and get on board the ship or to the governor's house." "There you are," cried the man, placing the chains in his hand, when, as if scenting out the water, the two collies started off, with eyes starting and tongues hanging out of their mouths, tugging and striving to get on, and forcing Nic to follow at a trot, his legs hurting him for the first few moments horribly.
They were not long reaching the shady pool where the horses were now standing in a shallow, with the drops falling from their muzzle.
"Poor beasts! they are thirsty," cried the doctor, as Nic was literally dragged to the edge of the pool, the dogs striving to plunge right in.
"Don't let them go, Nic." "But they'll have me in, father." "Don't let them, boy.

Ah!" Nic had not the least intention of letting them, but as the dogs had tugged at their chains the boy was forced from a hobble into a trot, and then, before the doctor could help, he caught one foot in the tough herbage, tripped, went down, and was dragged a yard or two, and then, with a rush and tremendous splash, he followed the dogs' plunge off the bank into deep water, to be towed here and there by the delighted animals, which swam about, barking, drinking, and threatening to tangle their chains in a worse knot than before--to wit, round Nic.
But after the first few moments' confusion the boy touched bottom, and began to wade back, finding it easier to master the dogs in the water than out.
"Well, that's a nice beginning, Nic!" said the doctor.
"Isn't it horrid ?" cried the boy.
"Wet ?" said his father laconically.