over this," she said. "I shall fall directly I lift up
my feet."

Kate turned round with a little laugh of contempt. Jeanne felt herself
suddenly lifted in a pair of strong arms. Before she knew where she was
she was on the other side. Breathless she followed her guide, who came
to a full stop a few yards farther on.

"Turn on your light," Kate ordered. "Look down on the left. There
should be a punt there."

Jeanne turned on the torch. A great flat-bottomed boat, shapeless and
unwieldy, was just below. Kate stepped lightly down the steep bank, and
with one foot on the side of the punt, held out her hand to Jeanne.

"Come," she said. "Step carefully."

"But what are we going to do?" Jeanne asked. "You are not going in
that?"

"Why not?" Kate laughed. "It is a few strokes only. We are going to
cross to the ridges."

Jeanne followed her. Somehow or other she found it hard to disobey her
guide. None the less she was afraid. She stepped tremblingly down into
the punt, and sat upon the broad wet seat. Kate, without a moment's
hesitation, took up the great pole and began pushing her way across the
creek. The tide was almost at its height, but even then the current was
so strong that they went across almost sideways, and Jeanne heard her
companion's breath grow shorter and shorter, as with powerful strokes
she did her best to guide and propel the clumsy craft.

"We are going out toward the sea," Jeanne faltered. "It is getting
wider and wider."

She flashed her torch across the dark waters. They could not see the
bank which they had left or the ridges to which they were making.

"Don't be afraid," Kate answered. "After all, you know, we can only die
once, and life isn't worth making such a tremendous fuss over."

"I do not want to die," Jeanne objected, "and I do not like this at
all."

Kate laughed contemptuously.

"Sit still," she said, "and you are as safe as though you were in your
own armchair. No current that ever ran could upset this clumsy raft.
The only reason I am working so hard is that I do not want to be
carried down past the ridges. If we get too low down we shall have to
walk across the black mud."

Jeanne kept silence, listening only to the swirl of the water struck by
the pole, and to the quick breathing of her companion. Once she asked
whether she could not help.

"There is no need," Kate answered. "Shine your torch on the left. We
are nearly across."

Almost as she spoke they struck the