ll upon the middy and the man who handled the third oar
to try and pull, there was a slip and a splash, May's feet glided over
the bottom, and he was swept back, fortunately still clinging to the
bows, back to where he had started from--close against the trunk.

"Are you there, Tom?" whispered Murray excitedly, for he feared the
worst.

"Here I be sir," growled the man. "I'm sticking tight enough."

"Hah!" ejaculated the lad. "If it were only light!"

"Jolly for us it ain't, sir," said the man. "Bad if they could see.
Hear that?"

_That_ was another shot from the right bank of the river, followed by a
couple more, and the bullets splashed up the water not far from their
heads.

"Are you going to try again?" whispered Murray.

"Arn't I, sir! I'm a-going to try till to-morrow mornin' if I don't do
it afore. Now then, all on yer, I'm going to begin shoving off her bows
again, and this time don't wait, my lads, for any orders from me. Use
your own gumption, and all on it at once. It'll take all my wind to
keep me going. You, Mr Murray, you get hold of the water first charnsh
and pull, and you t'others back-water; on'y just remember this: a broken
oar means done for.--Now here goes."

Once more Murray felt right through his brain every movement of the big
sailor as he began to wade, holding the cutter's bows nipped between his
arm and his broad chest; and as the boat began to move the middy felt
among the boughs and twigs with the blade of his oar to such good effect
that at the risk of breakage he turned the oar into a lever which
slightly helped to move the boat's head from its position.

"Good!" grunted Tom May softly, and he thrust away steadily a little and
a little, while the two who held the stout ash blades on the other side
began to back-water.

"Good!" grunted Tom again, and, as if in answer, _Bang! Bang_! came
from the shore, and a couple of splashing sounds rose from the woodwork
where the bullets struck.

"All together," whispered Murray, as he bent forward and got a fresh
hold of the boughs, while to his intense satisfaction he felt that the
man behind him had got a good grip too, and the boat's head was thrust
farther and farther away.

"Good!" grunted Tom May again, and Murray could not refrain from
uttering a low Hurrah! for at his next bending forward his oar cut down
into the water so that he got a good hold and pulled with all his
might--steadily too.

"Back-water hard!" he pante