e seized a boat hook and
plunged it into a Pixie officer who was about to board us. But another
took his place, and another, when he too had fallen.

"Taught caution by these losses, our assailants drew back from us, and
while Dare stood on guard, Dart and Dodge, the two other surviving
Brownies, and myself again took the oars. We reached the swiftest part
of the stream where the current sets in heavily toward the shore, and I
saw that we must drift in upon the beach. This also the Pixies saw, and
seemed content to keep near us, without taking further risk. The crowd
on shore followed along our course waiting for the final act. We were
very near, but tugged away, hoping against hope that we might be carried
past the jutting point and escape. Perhaps some such thought struck the
Pixie boat commander, or it may be his crew could not restrain their
fury. Several of them leaped out of the boat and ran toward us upon the
water. Some water-pixies joined them from the shore. Our boat was
seized. We dropped oars, and a death struggle began. Dart, after a
gallant fight, fell dead in the boat. Dodge was overpowered, captured
and bound. Corporal Dare was at last dragged into the water by two
sailors with whom he was in a hand to hand conflict and the three sank
together.

"I was alone. Wounded, nearly exhausted, overpowered by numbers, what
could I do? It was folly to fight the whole Pixie force. Plunging my
sword into the face of the boat captain, I threw myself backward into
the Lake as though wounded unto death. Amid the horrible clangor and
applause of the Pixies' victory cry I sank. I struck out beneath the
water, swam as far as I could, and cautiously came up to the surface. As
good fortune would have it, I arose almost within reach of a floating
leaf. This I grasped, edged myself around to the open water side, and
drifted. I saw that the two boats were being pulled ashore by the
excited captors, who were holding aloft on the points of their spears
the body of poor Dart. There was great rejoicing, of course, and then
the crowd slowly dispersed, bearing with them their prisoner, Dodge, and
doubtless thinking that the rest of the Brownie party had been slain.

"Meanwhile, I drifted on, and in spite of every effort to the contrary,
drew nearer the bank. The Pixie guard had now been doubled, and I feared
that I had escaped death only to fall upon it in another form. The leaf
lodged, and unluckily upon a bare, sandy point. Ther