more dangerous foe: 'There he is! there he is!'
cried the ruffian. 'Pull, I tell ye--pull! we'll have him easy before
he touches bank.'

Chippy looked ahead, and felt that there was horrible truth in this.
Stripped to the buff, he would have escaped without a doubt, for he
could go through the water like a fish. But he was now fully clothed,
and the water-sodden garments clung round him like a coating of lead,
impeding his strokes, and cutting down his pace in cruel fashion.

Still, he fought gamely, putting out every effort to drive himself
through the slow, dead water, and keeping his mind fixed on the shore
ahead, and not on the boat darting after him under the propulsion of
two powerful oarsmen.

He wanted to look back, but he drove the feeling off. He knew it would
not help his speed to mark how near his foes were, and he could, in any
case, do nothing but swim--swim for his life. There is no more
helpless creature in the world than the swimmer overtaken in the water.
He can neither fight nor fly. His powers are needed to support
himself, and, once disabled, the deadly water takes him into its
murderous embrace.

But, of a sudden, Chippy was forced to mark the terrible danger which
hung over him.

'Pull straight ahead,' said a voice, which seemed almost in his ear.
He turned his face, and his heart leapt in his side. The muffled
rowlocks and sweeps had brought the boat almost full upon him in
silence, and the ruffian who sought his life was springing into the
bows armed with the boat-hook. The boy scout saw all this clearly in
the moonlight--saw the second man pulling with a terrified face turned
over his shoulder, saw the heavy, iron-shod pole swinging aloft to fall
upon his head. He drew a long breath, and filled his lungs deeply. As
he did so, the shadow of the bow fell upon him, and at that instant he
dived like a water-hen. There was a tremendous splash just at his ear,
and a heavy blow was dealt on his shoulder, driving him deeper still.
He turned over on his back, and opened his eyes, for he had closed them
at the instant of diving. He saw directly above him a dark mass, and
knew that he was under the boat. It passed slowly on, and he rose, and
his face came to the surface and was brushed by a rope. He seized the
rope and hung on, and drew, cautiously, a deep breath. He looked
round, and found that he had caught the painter as it dragged astern,
and that the way of the boat was checked.