above everything else, revelled in the sea. One day a little later on,
after the rescue of his friend from drowning, James stood on the
quay at Inverary gazing across the loch and watching the sails of the
fishing boats, when he heard a loud cry.

He looked round. There, on the edge of the quay, stood a mother
wringing her hands and calling out that her child had fallen into the
water and was drowning. James ran along the quay, and taking off his
coat as he dashed to the spot, he dived into the water and, seizing
the little child by the dress, drew him ashore. The child seemed dead,
but when they laid him on the quayside, and moved his arms, his breath
began to come and go again and the colour returned to his cheeks.

Twice Chalmers had saved others from drowning. Three times he himself,
as the result of his daring adventures in the sea, was carried home,
supposed to be dead by drowning.

At another time he, with two other boys, thrust a tarred herring-box
into the sea from the sandy shore between the two rocky points where
the western sea came up the narrow Loch Fyne.

"Look at James!" shouted one of the boys to his companions as Chalmers
leapt into the box.

It almost turned over, and he swayed and rolled and then steadied as
the box swung out from the shore.

The other boys, laughing and shouting, towed him and his boat through
the sea as they walked along the shore. Suddenly, as they talked, they
staggered forward. The cord had snapped and they fell on the sand,