ts effect upon him. It was a chance for life, and in a
curious laboured way he struck out now to swim, but came on very slowly,
being hampered in some way by his own rod.

"Oh, try, try, try!" I shouted, and I saw him set his teeth and swim on
desperately till one hand closed upon the thin bamboo, and then the
other caught hold.

"Tight! Hold tight," I shouted, and, dropping on my knees, I began to
draw the rod through my hands slowly, as if it was a rope, my eyes
feeling as if they were starting as I saw his wild pallid face and set
teeth, for I was in momentary dread that he would let go.

It seemed long enough before I had drawn him within reach and snatched
at one of his wrists, then at the other, drawing myself back so as to
get him closer. Then I got tight hold of his jacket collar, and, as I
did so, my knees glided away from me back over the other side of the
penstock, and a curious sickening sensation came over me. The water and
Mercer's white face were blurred and swimming before me, and I was fast
losing consciousness, but the faintness was not much more than
momentary, and the sickening sensation began to wear away as rapidly as
it came, as I fully realised the fact that I was half off the little
platform, with my legs in the water, but holding my companion all the
time with a desperate clutch, while he clung as tightly to my wrists.

Then I tried to speak, but at first no words came, and it was all like
some terrible dream.

At last, though, the power of utterance came, and I cried loudly, in a
voice which did not seem like mine,--

"I've got you safe. Now climb out."

He did not move, only gazed wildly in my eyes till he seemed to irritate
me.

"Do you hear, you coward?" I half screamed; "climb out on to here. Do
you want me to fall right in?"

Still he did not reply, and I shouted at him again in my despairing
rage, for a curious sensation of weakness crept through me, and the
horrible thought came that sooner or later I must let him go.

"Do you hear? Don't play the fool. Climb out."

"Can't," he said in a husky whisper. "I tried--hard."

"Try again."

In obedience to my fierce order, he made an effort, splashing the water
a little, but ceased directly, and gazed at me wildly still.

"Can't. Line--round my legs."

His words sent a flash of light through me, for they explained his
miserable attempts to swim, and I realised that the stout silk line had
been twisted about him b