him until he was hoarse. Then he left Miss Vost and
groped his way to the starboard davits. The starboard life-boat was
gone!

Suddenly the rain ceased. A dull red glow smouldered on the eastern
heaven.

Miss Vost was praying, praying for courage, for help. She clung to
him, and sobbed. By and by her nerves seemed to steady themselves.

There was nothing to do but wait for daylight--and pray that the
gurgling waters might not rise any higher.

The glow in the east increased, and permitted them to see the vague
outlines of a looming shape which seemed to grow out of the bows. As
dawn came, Peter made out the form of a huge junk, which had pinioned
and crushed the foredeck rail under her brawny poop.

Then the remaining anchor-cable snapped like a rotten thread. Dimly
they saw the end of the chain whip upward and crash down. A coolie,
paralyzed, stood in its way. The broken end struck him in the face.
He screamed and rolled down the deck until he lodged against the rail.

Bobbie shouted their names, and scrambled and slipped down.

"We're trying to get up steam. Our only chance. Both forward anchors
gone. We'll swing around with the current and lose this damn junk. If
the after anchor holds till steam's up--we're safe!" He sped aft.

The steamer shuddered, and they felt her swinging as the scattered
shore lights moved from left to right. The junk was acting as a drag.
The shore lights became stationary. A gang of coolies with grate bars
were trying to pry up the junk's coamings.

Peter was aware then that Miss Vost's arms were clinging about his
neck, and that she was whimpering softly in his ear.

Up-river boomed another explosion. The deck seemed to fall from under
his feet. Water splashed up over his toes. In the gold-speckled dawn
he could see the waters foaming and swirling, and rising higher.

He knew it was suicide to swim the Yangtze rapids, knew the whirlpools
which sucked a man down and held him down until his body was torn to
shreds. There was no alternative. And the water was now half-way to
his knees. He dragged the unresisting girl to the rail.

"Can you swim--at all?"

"A--a little," she chattered.

"Hold to my collar and swim with one hand. Only try to keep afloat."

They slipped into the racing current, were seized, and spun around and
around. Above the drone of the waters he heard the roar of a
whirlpool, coming rapidly nearer. The firm clutch of Miss Vost's han