o his liking. At last
the greener was "his."

"There she goes!" he roared, and turning, slid hastily from the top and
leaped into the waiting bateau.

"Let 'er go!" he shouted.

Fallon and Stromberg leaped forward and simultaneously their peaveys
bit into the smaller of the two key-logs.

Both big men heaved and strained, once, twice, thrice, and the log
turned slowly, allowing the end of the other to pass.

The logs trembled for an instant, then, forced by the enormous weight
behind them, shot sidewise, crossed each other, and pressed the
tree-trunk deep under the boiling water.

A mighty quiver ran through the whole mass of the jam, it balanced for
a shuddering instant, then with a mighty rush, let go.

Over the side of the bateau tumbled Fallon and Stromberg, sprawling on
the bottom at the feet of the boss, while the man in the bow cast off
the light line.

The next instant the heavy boat leaped clear of the water, overriding,
climbing to the very summit of the pounding, plunging logs which
threatened each moment to crush and batter through her sides and
bottom.

The strong, new line was singing taut to the pull of the heavy bateau
which was being gradually crowded shoreward by the sweep of the
down-rushing logs.

Suddenly a mighty shout went up from those on the bank. The men in the
bateau looked, and there, almost in the middle of the stream, was the
greener leaping from log to log of the wildly pitching jam.

They stared horror-stricken, with tense, blanched faces. Each instant
seemed as if it must be his last, for they knew that no man alive could
hope to keep his feet in the mad rush and sweep of the tumbling,
tossing drive.

Yet the greener was keeping his feet. Time and again he recovered his
balance when death seemed imminent, and amid wild shouts and yells of
encouragement, climbing, leaping, running, stumbling, he worked his way
shoreward.

He was almost opposite the bateau now, and Stromberg, hastily coiling
the light line, leaped into the bow. Then, just when it seemed possible
the greener might make it, a huge log shot upward from the depths and
fell with a crash squarely across the log upon which he was riding.

A cry of horror went up from half a hundred throats as the man was
thrown high in the air and fell back into the foaming white-water that
showed here and here through the thinning tangle of logs.

The next instant a hundred logs passed over the spot, drawn down by the
suck o