or depositing their baskets
and nets, but now appropriated by the young heir of Wildtree for far
more important purposes.

It was here, in fact, that during the last two days he had conceived,
and begun to put into practice, the never-before-heard-of invention of a
machine for enabling a swimmer to swim up-stream at the rate of eight to
ten miles an hour!

Percy's recent career had been made up of a large number of magnificent
projects, admirable in every respect but one--they never quite came off.
Just as they neared perfection they "gave out," and something new took
their place. It would be treason, however, to hint that the "anti-
current swimmer" was ever likely to give out. There certainly seemed no
signs of it in the manner in which the inventor set about his task that
morning. He had been provident enough to bring some sandwiches in his
pockets (provided at the last moment by the much-enduring Walker), and
on the strength of these he laboured half the morning. It would puzzle
me to explain on what scientific principle the wonderful apparatus was
laid down, what mixture between the wing of a bird, the tail of a fish,
and the screw of a steamer it embodied. I never was good at mechanics,
and certainly Percy Rimbolt's mechanics were such as it is given but to
few to follow. Suffice it to say that by eleven o'clock the structure
had reached a critical stage, and stood still for want of the cork which
Appleby had been charged to procure.

The day was hot, and an hour at least must elapse before the messenger
could return from Overstone. Percy, therefore, improved the shining
hour by a bathe in the clear stream, with whose depths he was evidently
familiar. He made no attempt, pending the completion of the machine, to
oppose the swift current, but diving into it from the bridge, allowed
himself luxuriously to be carried down into the shallows a hundred yards
below, and without even the trouble of swimming. This refreshing
performance ended, he returned to the hut and dressed. He was in the
act of locking the door, preparatory to his journey up to Kennedy's
lodge, when a sack was suddenly thrown over his head from behind, and
next moment he found himself pinned to the ground in the clutches of two
men. Before he was well aware of what had happened, his feet were tied
together, and his arms firmly lashed to his sides. The sack was lifted
from his mouth, but not long enough to enable him to shout, for a gag