ty for the heavily encumbered canoes lay in
keeping parallel with the current. A flank movement toward shore would
have brought speedy disaster.

The boys realized this and stuck to mid-channel. The continued speed of
the current mystified them considerably, and they were quite at a lost
to account for it until Ned raised the lantern, and turned it on the
surface of the creek.

"Good gracious!" he cried. "The water is yellow with mud. The creek is
rising. No wonder it runs like a mill race. This same storm must have
deluged the upper end of the valley before it reached here."

Proof of Ned's assertion was not wanting, for that instant the canoes
rustled through the protruding grass of a submerged island.

The water Sprite stuck fast on what was probably the crest, and the
Pioneer instantly swung around with the current, shaking off the folds
of the tent.

Randy turned sideways to see how his companion was faring, and his face
suddenly blanched.

"Look! look! Ned," he cried in a hoarse, frightened voice. "What is
that?"

Randy's alarming cry was called forth by the discovery of a long dusky
object that was bearing rapidly down upon the canoes.

The same chilling fear entered the hearts of both lads they watched its
noiseless approach. They believed it to be an upturned canoe--a message
fraught with tidings of disaster.

CHAPTER XIX

ADRIFT ON A LOG

An instant later the shadowy object assumed the unmistakable form of a
huge drift log, and before Ned could realize his peril or deal a single
paddle stroke, the current whirled the heavy mass upon him, and the
blunt end pounded broadside into the Pioneer. The canoe was bowled over
like a tenpin, and Ned went head first into the yellow flood. He came to
the surface a dozen feet below, and when he found he was out of his
depth he made a valiant effort to swim up to Randy, who was fighting
hard to drive the Water Sprite off the island, so that he might hasten
to his friend's rescue.

Half a dozen strokes convinced Ned of the utter futility of breasting
such a current. As he ceased struggling, and allowed himself to drift at
will, he saw the log bearing down upon him. It had swung clear around
after capsizing the canoe, and was shooting along at a rapid pace, as
though to make up for lost time.

With scarcely an instant's deliberation Ned decided what to do. His
canoe was floating toward him from above, but being still broadside to
the current, its move