It come so
fast ye scurse could see them next ye in the boat. 'He's grappled it!
he's thar'! he's thar'! says they, and when they pulled it in, thar' was
that other one belt fast, and only him.
"God knows! I calk'late he made sure o' the other first, and thar' wa'n't
jest the breath's time left for him, blinded so sudden maybe, and fell
death faint. I've knowed it be so with the strongest; no wonder thar';
the wonder was in what he done. He was the strongest swimmer that I ever
knowed, the strongest and the fearlessest!
"George Olver never'll be content. He would 'a' gone in after _him_. We'd
be'n driv' a furlong back, I reckon, and every mark was lost. It 'ud be'n
naught but to swaller him, too. He lost his sense. We had to holt him
back. He raved thar', like a madman. It blew a bitter spell, longest of
all, and when it helt a bit so we could take our bearin's some'at, what
hope! What hope!
"But poor George, of a suddint he grew quiet as a lamb, and set a lookin'
out, with his hand light on the oar, as ef 'twas pleasant weather, and he
could see _him_ ridin' in thar' easy on the wave; and his eyes was fur
off and smilin', but they looked as though they died.
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