And it all began to come back to him . They were men ; and they were fighting ; savage , desperate , up-and - down fighting , such as Tom had seen too many times before . And he stopped his little ears , and longed to swim away ; and was very glad that he was a water-baby , and had nothing to do any more with horrid dirty men , with foul clothes on their backs , and foul words on their lips ; but he dared not stir out of his hole : while the rock shook over his head with the trampling and struggling of the keepers and the poachers . All of a sudden there was a tremendous splash , and a frightful flash , and a hissing , and all was still . For into the water , close to Tom , fell one of the men ; he who held the light in his hand . Into the swift river he sank , and rolled over and over in the current . Tom heard the men above run along seemingly looking for him ; but he drifted down into the deep hole below , and there lay quite still , and they could not find him . Tom waited a long time , till all was quiet ; and then he peeped out , and saw the man lying . At last he screwed up his courage and swam down to him . `` Perhaps , '' he thought , `` the water has made him fall asleep , as it did me . '' Then he went nearer . He grew more and more curious , he could not tell why . He must go and look at him . He would go very quietly , of course ; so he swam round and round him , closer and closer ; and , as he did not stir , at last he came quite close and looked him in the face . The moon shone so bright that Tom could see every feature ; and , as he saw , he recollected , bit by bit , it was his old master , Grimes . Tom turned tail , and swam away as fast as he could . `` Oh dear me ! '' he thought , `` now he will turn into a water-baby . What a nasty troublesome one he will be ! And perhaps he will find me out , and beat me again . ''
So he went up the river again a little way , and lay there the rest XXXXX the night under an alder root ; but , when morning came , he longed to go down again to the big pool , and see whether Mr. Grimes had turned into a water-baby yet .
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