this fashion, then, they gathered in a clump, gripping the railing
with desperate zeal. Somehow or other the mere fact of getting
together seemed to give each of the chums renewed courage.

"Ain't this a fierce deal, though?" Steve was saying, as drenched from
head to foot he clung there, and looked at the swirling flood by which
they found themselves surrounded, with the shore far away on either
hand.

"B-b-beats anything I ever s-s-struck!" chattered Toby, whose teeth
were apparently rattling like castanets, either from cold or
excitement, possibly a little of both.

"We're in a tight hole, that's a fact," Max admitted, "but we ought to
be thankful it's no worse than it is. One of us might have been swept
loose, and drowned, or had a hard time getting around. We're all
together, and it'll be queer if we can't figure out some way to get
ashore, sooner or later."

"That's the ticket, Max; 'never give up the ship,' as Lawrence said
long ago," was the way Steve backed the leader up.

"Huh!" grunted Bandy-legs, who had bumped his head, and because it felt
sore he was not in the happiest mood possible; "that's just what we're
wantin' to do, if you c'n call this turnin' twistin' raft a ship.
Makes me dizzy the way she reels and cavorts; just like she might be
trying one of them new fangled dance steps."

"Listen! what was that?" exclaimed Max, breaking in on Bandy-legs'
complaint.

"What did you think you heard?" asked Steve, eagerly; "we're too far
away from either shore right here to hope for anything, because you
remember the banks of the Evergreen are low after passing our town, and
the water's had a chance to spread itself. Whew! it must be half a
mile across here, and then some."

"There it came again," said Max. "And seems to me it sounded like a
half-drowned shout for help."

"What, away out here?" cried Steve; "who under the sun could be wanting
us to give him a helping hand, d'ye think, Max?"

"I don't know, but at a time like this you can look for anything to
happen. Perhaps there were other people carried away on the flood.
Look around, and see if you can glimpse anything."

The water was not quite so riotous now, since it spread over a wider
territory; and the boys had succeeded in getting their eyes clear; so
that almost immediately Bandy-legs was heard to give a shout.

"I see him, fellers!" he announced, excitedly; "over yonder, and
swimmin' to beat the band! He's tryin' to make the flo