“Kick out for all you’re worth,” he panted. “We’ve got to get there. It’s just a few yards, Dennis.”
At last a rhododendron branch growing out over the water came within reach, and he caught hold of it. This brought him to the edge of the unbroken ice again, and, letting go of Dennis for a moment, he brought his elbow down full on to it, and broke another yard of passage. Then Dennis came within reach of further branches and felt the steep sides of the retaining bank beneath his feet. Next minute they had dragged themselves out of the water.
Colin turned to the boy, his teeth chattering with cold, and, now that Dennis was safe, his heart was hot with the tide of hate, momentarily driven back, but now flowing swiftly.
“You damned little idiot,” he said. “I suppose your plan was to drown me.”
A revulsion of feeling not less than that which seized Colin drove over the boy. All the time that they had been struggling in the water, with that strong arm upholding him, his heart had sung with the thought that his father had risked his life to save him, and now bitter as the icy water itself were his first words to him.
“Take off that coat of yours and run,” said Colin. “After all my trouble you needn’t stand here and freeze.”
Colin was now the more exhausted of the two, and after they had trotted some fifty yards together, Dennis staggering and hobbling in his skated boots, he had to stop.
“I can’t run any more,” he said. “Go on.”
He was terribly white of face, and his breath came in short panting sobs.
“That’s likely,” said Dennis. “Here, catch hold of me, Father. Give me your hand.”
Colin’s spirit rebelled, but the flesh was weak, and he let Dennis tuck his arm in his, and pound away up the hill. The boy’s vigour and young blood had reasserted themselves, the colour came back to his cheeks, while the elder man, after his frantic struggle for them both, was growing every moment more exhausted. But presently they came to the level paving of the terrace, and Violet from within saw them pass a window, and rushed to the door to open it. Colin was now near collapse, but between them they lifted him into the warmth.
“Ring the bell, Dennis,” she said. “What has happened?”
“I was drowning,” said Dennis, “and he saved me.”