uny force seemed superfluous,
for the punt was moving of itself, quickly and still more quickly,
swinging broadside to the stream in defiance of her efforts to keep it
straight. Darsie ceased to struggle and leaned forward on the paddle to
consider the situation. Then, for the first time, she became aware that
the former stillness of the stream was replaced by a harsh, continuous
noise, which seemed momentarily to increase in volume. What could it
be? She stared around with puzzled eyes, but there was no hint of alarm
in her bewilderment. A child of the city, she was inured to sudden and
inexplicable noises; it was only when the punt swung heavily round a
bend that she realised the seriousness of her position. The mill was
working! One of the infrequent experimental trials of which she had
heard was even now in process, the great moss-covered wheel was
revolving creakily on its axle, waking the sleeping river into life, and
the heavy punt was bearing down, more and more rapidly towards the crazy
wooden gates!

In a second all that she had heard on this subject from the Percival
family flashed through Darsie's brain. The gates were frail, so eaten
by long action of water, that at the impact of a heavy mass they would
almost certainly burst apart, and then--what would happen to the punt
and to its hapless occupant? Would she be hurled against a broken
boulder, wedged helplessly beneath the debris, or rushed forward into
the swirl of the millpond itself? Whatever happened it seemed certain
that danger--and serious danger--loomed close at hand, unless she could
succeed in overmastering the current and landing the punt safely at the
little jetty. At this moment it was not fear but rather an exhilarating
tingling of excitement of which Darsie was most aware. Here was an
adventure--a full-fledged adventure, such as came but seldom to break
the monotony of life!

For the sake of her future credit she must bear herself bravely, be
swift, resourceful, energetic. With all her strength she plied the
paddle to and fro, but for all the effect produced she might as well
have sat still upon her cushions. It would have required an experienced
hand to guide the heavy punt through the sweeping current, and under
Darsie's unpractised strokes it twisted, and turned, and revolved in
aimless and disconcerting circles... No matter! she was determined to
win; by hook or by crook she must make the left side of the stream and
gai