midstream just before darkness
fell.

And now, hour by hour, they had warning that their further progress with
the brig would soon come to an end.

"And it's my belief, gentlemen, that it will be before night," said the
captain one morning when they were all seated together beneath the
awning chatting. "If you keep quite still, you can hear the stopper."

"Stopper? What do you mean?" asked Sir Humphrey, in a surprised tone.
He was once more pretty well his old self.

"Well, bar, then. There, you can hear it quite plain now."

"Do you mean that low murmur?" said Brace, who was listening intently.
"I thought it was the wind."

"No, sir, it's the water," said the captain. "That's either a fall or
else some rapids. I've been noticing lots of little signs of a change
lately, and if it wasn't for this steady wind we shouldn't be moving at
all. See how clear the water is?"

"Yes, I've noticed that it has been gradually becoming clearer," said
Brace. "But do you notice that the wind is dropping?"

"Yes, we are leaving it behind, and it strikes me that if you like to
try about here or a little higher up you'll get some sport."

"Then we'll try," said Brace, "when we anchor for the night."

As the morning progressed, the wind rose higher and the river widened.
It was as if the opening out gave play to the breeze, and a good ten
miles were run before sundry warnings of shallowing water made the
captain give orders for reducing the sail; but, in spite of this, as the
brig rounded a curve which disclosed to the delighted vision of the
travellers a glorious landscape of open park-like country backed by
mountains, with the sparkling waters of a furious rapid running from
side to side where the river contracted again after opening out like a
lake, there was a soft grinding sensation, and the way of the vessel was
slowly checked, while the next minute it was fully grasped that they
were fast on a sandbank, with the open forest on one side only a hundred
yards or so away, and on the other fully a mile.

"We've done it now, squire," said the captain, turning to Brace and
mopping his face with a handkerchief he took out of the crown of his
straw hat.

"Done it?"

"Yes; here we are, wrecked and set fast in the bed of the river."

"But I suppose we shall only remain here for an hour or two."

"Or for a year or two, or altogether, my lad. Maybe we shall never be
able to get the brig off again; but we must hope for th