uggled for breath, and called again with all the
power I could muster. I could not hear myself speak. And then I
understood! My knees rocked beneath me, the river swirled round me, a
rowan tree rushed by me in a flash, and as I fell sprawling on my face
among the heather a thousand hammers seemed to pound the hideous
sickening truth into the heaving pulp that was once my brain.

CHAPTER XI.

HOW THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENED.

When I came to myself I was lying with my head pillowed on Garnesk's
arm. My coat and collar were on the ground beside me, and my head and
shoulders were dripping with water.

"Ah!" said my companion, with a sigh of relief, "that's better. You'll
be all right in a few minutes, Ewart. Take it easy, old chap, and
rest."

"Where am I?" I asked. "Good heavens!" I exclaimed, as I heard my own
voice, and sat bolt upright in my astonishment, "I thought I was
dumb!"

"Well, never mind about that now, old fellow," Garnesk advised. "We'll
hear all about that later. Shut your eyes and rest a minute."

"All right," I agreed, "pass me my pipe and I will."

Garnesk laughed aloud as he leaned over to reach my coat pocket.

"When a man shouts for his pipe he's a long way from being dead or
dumb or anything else," he said.

Truth to tell, I was feeling very queer. I was dizzy and confused, but
I felt that I wanted my pipe to help me collect my thoughts. So I lay
there for some minutes quietly smoking, and indeed I felt as if I
could have stayed like that for ever.

"I must have fainted," I explained presently, overlooking the fact
that Garnesk probably knew more about my ridiculous seizure than I did
myself. "I don't know when I did a thing like that before," I added,
beginning to get angry with myself.

"Well, I hope you won't do it again," said my friend fervently. "It's
not a thing to make a hobby of. And don't you come near this infernal
river any more until we know something definite."

"You mean that the place has got on my nerves," I said. "I suppose it
has; I'm very sorry."

"Do you feel well enough to tell me all about it?" he asked, "or would
you rather wait till we get up to the house?"

"Oh, I'll tell you now," I agreed readily. "We mustn't say anything
about this at the house." So I told him exactly how I had felt.

"When did it first come on?" he asked.

"When I heard you shout, and jumped up to see what it was. By the way,
what was it?"

"Well," he replied, "we'll discuss t