"'He is dead!' she cries; 'my darling!' And the startled father hears, And comes and looks the way she looks, And fears the thing she fears; Till a glad shout from the bearers Thrills the stricken man and wife-- 'Give thanks, for your son has saved our land, And God has saved his life!' So there in the morning sunshine They knelt about the boy, And every head was bared and bent In tearful, reverent joy. "'Tis many a day since then; but still, When the sea roars like a flood, Their boys are taught what a boy can do Who is brave, and true, and good; For every man in that country Takes his son by the hand, And tells him of little Peter, Whose courage saved the land. They have many a valiant hero Remembered through the years, But never one whose name so oft Is named with loving tears. And his deed shall be sung by the cradle, And told to the child on the knee, So long as the dikes of Holland Divide the land from the sea." They had now come to the Y, an inlet of the Zuyder Zee, where several of the men under Mr. Lacelle were at work. "Here we are," said Eric, gladly. "Here we are! Now for my 'thrilling experience,' as the newspapers say." There was a tent close by, into which they stepped to change their dress for the diver's costume. "Nobody would know me now, I am sure," said Eric to himself, when, with much difficulty, and considerable help from the attendants, he emerged from the tent arrayed in the suit. "I can hardly drag my feet along, they are so heavy; and I'm decidedly glad that my every-day hat is not like this helmet." Mr. Lacelle had given him particular directions about diving, and now the life-line and air-hose were adjusted, and the brave boy stood beside the professional diver, waiting for the descent. The signal was given, and soon Eric was going down underneath the blue, cold waves. He could not see Mr. Lacelle; it seemed as if he were never to stop going down: the water sang around his ears; and seeing nothing but water made him giddy and faint. He thought he must certainly smother, and, for an instant, was thoroughly afraid. Then he remembered that, at a single touch of the life-line, the men above would instantly draw him up, and, feeling quite at his ease again, began to look about him. To his great joy he saw the bottom, and was presently upon it, and walking towards Mr. Lacelle.