mediately put out their oars and pulled;
but Gerald soon found that the current was too strong for them. In spite
of all they could do, the boat was evidently slowly drifting towards the
bridge.

"It is of no use," said Gerald, at last. "We shall have to go through;
but that will do no harm if we can only manage to keep her from striking
the piers. Take in your oars, boys, and let me pull her round so as to
head down stream, and you stand ready to fend off when we are going
under."

The excitement of this scene was very great, and Rollo's first impulse
was to scream for help; but observing how cool and collected Gerald
appeared, he felt somewhat reassured, and at once obeyed Gerald's
orders. He took in his oar, and holding it in his hands, as if it had
been a boat hook or a setting pole, he prepared to fend off from the
piers when the boat went through. In the mean time Gerald had succeeded
in getting the boat round, so as to point the bows down stream, just as
she reached the bridge; and in this position she shot under it like an
arrow. Several boys who were standing on the bridge at this time, after
watching at the upper side till the boat went under, ran across to the
lower side, to see her come out.

The boat passed through the bridge safely, though the stern struck
against the pier on one side, just as it was emerging. The reason of
this was, that Gerald, in bringing it round so as to head down the
stream, had given it a rotating motion, which continued while it was
passing under the bridge, and thus brought the stern round against the
pier. No harm was done, however, except that the boat received a rather
rude concussion by the blow.

"Now, boys," said Gerald, speaking in French, "we must keep her head and
stern up and down the stream, or we shall make shipwreck."

"Yes," said Rollo, in English; "if we should strike a snag or any thing,
broadside on, the boat would roll right over."

"A snag!" repeated Gerald, contemptuously. The idea was indeed absurd of
finding a snag in the River Rhone; for a snag is formed by a floating
tree, which is washed into the river by the undermining of the banks,
and is then carried down until it gets lodged. There are millions of
such trees in the Mississippi, but none in the Rhone.

However, Rollo was right in his general idea. There might be
obstructions of some sort in the river, which it would be dangerous for
the boat to encounter broadside on; so he took hold resolutely