I then swam round the
boat, glorying in my suddenly acquired confidence and victory over
myself, climbed into it, and dived again, with the same triumphant
success. I think I went down four or five times, and each time as I
made the dive-spring shouted aloud, "Take that!" feeling that I was
getting most gloriously even with myself.
Never again from that day to this have I lost control of myself in
water. If suddenly thrown overboard at sea in the dark, or even while
asleep, I think I would immediately right myself in a way some would
call "instinct," rise among the waves, catch my breath, and try to plan
what would better be done. Never was victory over self more complete. I
have been a good swimmer ever since. At a slow gait I think I could
swim all day in smooth water moderate in temperature. When I was a
student at Madison, I used to go on long swimming-journeys, called
exploring expeditions, along the south shore of Lake Mendota, on
Saturdays, sometimes alone, sometimes with another amphibious explorer
by the name of Fuller.
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