ing in shore, he was bewildered
to find only the mud bank. This discovery startled him into a
realization that something was wrong with his brain. The mind was
wavering between the hallucinations of a fever, and lucidity.
Vagaries occasioned by a high temperature, would suddenly vanish as the
struggling mind briefly asserted itself. As he resumed paddling, some
swaying willows became three ladies attired in the Grecian bend costume,
then a fad in America, smiling and bowing to him. His mind told him they
were only willows; but his eyes would not be convinced.

Darkness fell about him. He had no idea of where he was going, and the
lights burst on him again with increased brilliancy. No matter where his
eyes turned, the intense rays would shine into them. He thought he had
arrived at Cremona, and that some men were turning the reflector to
annoy him. "Keep those lights off," he shouted, "don't you see they are
blinding me?"

Reason came for an instant and told him there was no town and no lights.
He knew he must call for help, but several minutes elapsed before he
could remember the proper Italian word. Then he cried:

"Soccorso, soccorso!"

But only the echo responded from the lonely shore.

He again reached the bank, formed by a dyke which protects the lowlands
from the floods. He climbed to the top, carrying the little tender in
his arms. Then he could hear the tack, tack, tack, of some one pounding,
and through an open door he saw a shoemaker hammering away at the sole
of a boot on his knee. Attempting to enter, he staggered against a tree.
The shoemaker appeared in another direction and the sound of the
hammer was continually with him. Almost overcome with fatigue he decided
to sit down, and then his paddle assumed the character of a companion,
remonstrating with him and advising him to move on.

"I think I'll sit down here," Boyton would say.

"Indeed you won't," answered the paddle.

"But I must."

"If you do you will die. Come on."

Endeavoring to obey the commands of the paddle he continued to stagger
on, falling at every few steps; but regaining his feet and pressing
forward. Intense thirst consumed him and he went often to the brink of
the river and drank quantities of water, burying his face in the muddy
stream; the paddle all the while urging him to move on. Along the top of
the dyke he came upon three posts placed for the purpose of keeping
cattle from get