Two or three times we heard him sputtering and shouting, "_Now can I have that badge ?_" Late that afternoon they let him dive off the deck.

It was low and it didn't make much of a dive.

Of course, he didn't dive right, he only just jumped and went kerflop into the water, and he had us all laughing.

As soon as he found out how much fun it was, he kept climbing up and splashing into the water again; oh, boy, it was as good as a circus to see him.

Then he'd go swimming to the skiff and climb in just like a little eel, and sit there shivering.
You can bet that kid is going to have the swimming badge all right, we all said; the trouble is going to be to hold him back.