ay, and the action of the water had worn
along the base of this a number of holes, all now below the surface, for
the river was a trifle above its normal level. All? We are wrong.
All--save one.

In the high bank immediately behind his head, some few inches long and
barely an inch above the surface of the water, was an aperture, hardly
in fact distinguishable. But Gerard, his quickness of resource
sharpened by his imminent peril, saw it, saw in it a possible means of
escape.

The hole continued under the water, almost to the ground. He thrust his
foot in, then his entire leg. He could not touch the end. He thrust
his hand into the portion above water and reached upward. It seemed a
hollow dome, just large enough for his head. If he could stand upright
in this strange recess the searchers might pass within a few inches of
him without discovery.

But he must attempt it at once, so that the slight disturbance of the
water which was unavoidable should have time to clear off before they
arrived. Holding his breath--and his rifle, which though soaked and
useless for the time being, he would not let go as long as he could
avoid it--he dived into the aperture, and as he felt his footing and his
head rose above water, he found it was even as he had expected. He was
in darkness, save for the light which came in under the water and
through the narrow crevice exposed. He could, however, breathe without
difficulty, for the air came in by the same way. But there was a
terribly damp and earthy exhalation about it, which suggested an
unpleasant sensation of being entombed alive.

No room was there, however, for any mere fanciful and imaginative
apprehensions, for scarce was he ensconced within his strange and
well-nigh miraculous place of refuge than a disturbance of the water
which came rippling into the hole in little wavelets, momentarily
shutting out the air, pointed to the near approach of his enemies.
Hardly daring to breathe himself, he could hear the laboured breathing
and the stealthy splash of someone swimming or wading. They had almost
gained his late hiding-place, then! Where would he have been but for
this later one?

And then--oh, horror! was he not premature in his congratulations? He
had discovered the recess. Why should not they? And having discovered
it, why should they not resort to the same plan as that which they had
adopted to sound his other possible or actual hiding-places, viz. to
thrust