rise again, for the craft
did happen to be taken by the eddy formed by a stream which joined the
river, and directly after they saw it being driven towards one of the
huge trees which dipped its pendent boughs far out in the water.

The feeling of excitement made Nic's breath come thick and fast as he
saw the boat brush against the leafage, pause for a few moments, and the
young man was ready to utter a cry of joy, but it died out in a low
groan, for the boat continued its progress, the twigs swept over it, and
the power of the stream mastered. But it was caught again, and they saw
it heel over a little, free itself, and then, swaying a little, it
seemed to bound on faster than ever.

"Never mind, lad," said Pete coolly; "it'll catch again soon."

Pete was right; the boat was nearer to the wall of verdure, and it once
more seemed to be entangled in some boughs which dipped below the
surface and hung there, while the swimmers reduced the distance between
them and the boat forty or fifty yards. Then, with a swift gliding
motion, it was off again.

"That's twice," cried Pete. "Third time does it. Zay, Master Nic,
aren't the water nice and cold?"

The look which Nic gave the speaker in his despair checked Pete's
efforts to make the best of things.

"A beast!" he muttered to himself. "I should like to drive my hoof
through her planks. Heavy boat? Why, she dances over the water like a
cork."

At that moment Nic could not suppress a sharp cry, and he made a
spasmodic dash through the water.

"Eh, my lad, what is it?" cried Pete, who was startled.

"One of the great fishes or reptiles made a dash at me and struck me on
the leg," gasped Nic.

"Nay, nay, don't zay that, lad. You kicked again a floating log.
There's hunderds allus going down to the zea."

Nic shook his head, and Pete felt that he was right, for the next minute
he was swimming on with his keen-edged knife held in his teeth, ready
for the emergency which he felt might come; but they suffered no further
alarm. Disappointment followed disappointment, and weariness steadily
set in; but they swam steadily on, till Nic's strength began to fail.
He would not speak, though, till, feeling that he had done all that was
possible, he turned his despairing eyes to Pete.

Before he could speak the latter cried:

"I knowed it, Master Nic, and expected it ever so long past. Now, you
just turn inshore along with me; then you shall lie down and rest while