it practiced in Maine.

"Now we will pretend that I am the bee!" he shouted at Jim. "You will
admit that I look like one! I am drunk with honey and I hang to the comb
thus!"

He caught a point of rock with one hand and lazily waved the other.

"This is my proboscis," he explained.

"For heaven's sake, be careful!" yelled Jim. "This is no blooming
ten-cent show! Keep both hands on the rock and climb up for a rest."

Charlie suddenly went white. "God! I've got cramp!" he screamed. "Both
legs. Help me, Manning!"

He struggled to get his free hand on the rock, but the water tore at him
like a ravening beast and he lost his hold. Jim swam furiously after
him. The white head showed for a moment, then disappeared around a turn
of the wall.

CHAPTER VIII

THE BROKEN SEAL

"When I was young I thought the world was made for love. Now
I know that love made the world."

MUSINGS OF THE ELEPHANT.

How he passed the night that followed Jim never was sure. He knew that
he fought his way down stream until long after darkness set in. Then,
utterly exhausted, bleeding and bruised, he crawled up onto a rock under
the wall and lay dripping and shivering until dawn.

He watched the light touch the far top of the crevice, saw the azure
strip of the sky appear and then with a deep groan he forced himself to
eat from his grub bag and started hurriedly on down the river. The
stream was much deeper below the point of the accident, with several
large falls. Jim worked his way along carefully, swimming or floating
for the most part, for the walls for many miles offered not even a
hand-hold nor did they once give back in beach or eddy.

The loneliness was appalling. The hardship of the work was astonishingly
increased, robbed of Tuck's unfailing cheerfulness and faith. There was
one moment when, toward sunset, Jim's strength almost failed him. The
walls were rougher now. He had found a hand-hold but no place for the
night. He clung here until his exhausted arms were able to endure no
more.

"I can't do any more!" panted Jim. "I'll have to go down." And then he
gave a little childish sob. "'Hang on to what you undertake like a hound
to a warm scent, Jimmy!'" he said, brokenly. And new strength flowed
into his arms and he swam on for a few moments, finding then a bit of
shore on which to spend the night. He and Charlie had each carried a map
and a set of instruments. Jim fe