tern of the boat had been caught in an eddy and swung
round, so that he had some occupation for a few moments trying to alter
her position in the water, which he did at last by hooking the trunk of
an overhanging willow.

This had the required effect, and the head swung round once more; but in
obtaining this result Dexter found himself in this position--the willow
refused to give up its hold of the boat-hook. He naturally, on his
side, also refused, and, to make matters worse, the current here was
quite a race, and the boat was going rapidly on.

He was within an ace of having to leave the boat-hook behind, for he
declined to try another bath--this time in his clothes. Just, however,
at the crucial moment the bark of the willow gave way, the hook
descended with a splash, and Dexter breathed more freely, and sat there
with the boat-hook across his knees looking first to right and then to
left in search of danger, but seeing nothing but the low-wooded banks of
the stream, which was gradually growing wider as they travelled further
from the town.

It was a strange experience; and, comparatively happy now in the silence
of the night, Dexter kept his lonely watch, thinking how much pleasanter
it was for his companion to be asleep, but all the time suffering a
peculiar sensation of loneliness, and gazing wonderingly at the strange,
dark shapes which he approached.

Men, huge beasts, strange monsters, they seemed sometimes right in
front, rising from the river, apparently as if to bar his way, but
always proving to be tree, bush, or stump, and their position caused by
the bending of the stream.

Once there was a sudden short and peculiar grating, and the boat stopped
short, but only to glide on again as he realised that the river was
shallow there, and they had touched the clean-washed gravelly bottom.

There was enough excitement now he was left to himself to keep off the
depression he had felt, for now the feeling that he was gliding away
into a new life was made more impressive by the movement of the boat,
which seemed to him to go faster and faster among dimly seen trees, and
always over a glistening path that seemed to be paved with stars.

Once, and once only, after leaving the town behind was there any sign of
inhabited building, and that was about an hour after they started, when
a faint gleam seemed to be burning steadily on the bank, and so near
that the light shone down upon the water. But that was soon pa