[ Ballantyne / Martin Rattler ]
In this nautical adventure tale, first published in 1858 (London: T. Nelson), young Martin and his friend Barney abandon a ship that has been attacked by pirates and swim to shore:
On gaining the beach, the first thing that Barney did, after shaking himself like a huge Newfoundland dog, was to ascertain that his pistol and cutlass were safe. . . . (Chapter 7)