ept down by the stream! See, he's broken his paddle, and can't
help himself!"

Instinctively all three sprang forward at once, although the doomed
voyager was manifestly beyond the reach of help. But even as they did
so, the crisis came. With one leap the boat was in the midst of the
rapids, banged to and fro like a shuttlecock by the white leaping waves,
amid which it appeared and vanished by turns, till a final plunge sent
it right toward the edge of the fall.

The lookers-on turned away their faces; but all was not over yet. By a
lucky chance the boat's head had been turned straight toward the island,
upon which the current drove it with such force as to dash it in among
the sharp rocks, that pierced its sides and held it firm, while its
occupant was flung forward on his face among the bushes.

"Phew!" said Tom, drawing a long breath, "what a shave! Ugh! wasn't it
horrid, just that last minute? I'm awfully glad he's got off."

"But how's he to get ashore?" asked the practical Charlie. "It seems to
me he's in just as bad a fix as ever."

Meanwhile the unlucky voyager had scrambled to his feet, and was staring
wildly about him.

"Well, I declare!" exclaimed Tom, "if it isn't my old chum Fred Hope!
I'd no idea he was home again."

"I don't think he sees us," said Harry; "let's give him a hail, just to
show him there's help at hand. I've heard my father say that if a
fellow's left long alone in a place like that he'll go crazy with the
fright and the motion of the water."

Tom was not slow to take the hint. He sprang upon the bowlder behind
which they were standing, and, putting both hands to his mouth, shouted,
above the din of the water-fall, "Hollo, Fred, old boy! how goes it?"

"Who-o's that?" answered a faint voice, tremulous with terror.

"Why, don't you remember Tom Lockyer?"

"Oh, Tom, is that you? Get me out of this somehow, if you can."

"Never fear, old chap; we'll have you out in no time," replied Tom,
cheerily.

"But how on earth are you going to do it?" whispered Harry, amazed at
his friend's confident tone.

"Haven't the least idea, so far," answered the philosophic Tom, coolly;
"but it's got to be done _somehow_. If the worst comes to the worst, I
can always run home for help, while you two stay here and keep his
spirits up."

"If we could only get a rope across," suggested Charlie. "He's got one
there, I know, for I saw it tumble out of the boat as she swamped; but
how are we to get at