pt on in the most
unruffled way, and, by degrees, as the rower found that it saved him
from a great deal of unpleasant screwing round and neck-twisting, he
began to obey the commands, and pulled a little harder, so that they
travelled more swiftly down the winding stream.

"Port!" shouted Macey. "Port it is! Straight on!"

Then, after a minute,--

"Starboard! More starboard! Straight on!"

Again: "Pull your right--not too much. Both hands;" and Distin calmly
and indifferently followed the orders, till it had just occurred to him
that the others might as well row now, when Macey shouted again:--

"Right--a little more right; now, both together. That's the way;" and,
as again Distin obeyed, Macey shut his eyes, and drew up his knees. To
give a final impetus to the light craft, Distin leaned forward, threw
back the blades of the sculls, dipped, and took hold of the water, and
then was jerked backwards as the boat struck with a crash on one of the
old piles of the ancient bridge, ran up over it a little way, swung
round, and directly after capsized, and began to float down stream,
leaving its human freight struggling in deep water.

CHAPTER SIX.

DISTIN IS INCREDULOUS.

"Oh, murder!" shouted Macey, as he rose to the surface, and struck out
after the boat, which he reached, and held on by the keel.

Gilmore swam after him, and was soon alongside, while Vane made for the
bank, climbed out, stood up dripping, and roaring with laughter.

"Hi! Gil!--Aleck, bring her ashore," he cried.

"All right!" came back; but almost simultaneously Vane shouted again, in
a tone full of horror:--

"Here, both of you--Distin--where's Distin?"

He ran along the bank as he spoke, gazing down into the river, but
without seeing a sign of that which he sought.

Macey's heart sank within him, as, for the first time, the real
significance of that which he had done in carefully guiding the rower on
to the old rotten pile came home. A cold chill ran through him, and,
for the moment, he clung, speechless and helpless, to the drifting boat.

But Vane soon changed all that.

"Here, you!" he yelled, "get that boat ashore, turn her over, and come
to me--"

As he spoke, he ran to and fro upon the bank for a few moments, but,
seeing nothing, he paused opposite a deep-looking place, and plunged in,
to begin swimming about, raising his head at every stroke, and searching
about him, but searching in vain, for their companion, who