side so high that she was on the point of rolling over when
all of us--I think instinctively--sprang to that side and bore her down.

"Over the side, some of you," cried Lumley, leaping into the water on
the lower side, followed by six of us, including myself. Some of us
were breast deep; others, on rocks, stood higher.

"Now--together--shove!--and hold on!"

There was no need to give us the latter caution.

Our boat shot into deep water and we all held on for life. Fortunately
the more open part of the rapid had been gained. The steersman without
aid could keep us in deep water, and, before we had fairly scrambled
back into our places, we were floating safely on the quiet lake into
which the river ran.

You may be sure that we had matter not only for gratulation but for
conversation that night at supper; for, after discussing our recent
adventure in all its phases, nearly every one of our party had numerous
similar incidents to tell of--either as having occurred to himself, or
to his friends. But the pleasure of that night's intercourse and repose
was materially diminished by a pest, with which for some time previously
we had not been much afflicted.

Who has not heard of mosquitoes? We may inform those who have never
seen or felt them that they are peculiarly virulent and numerous and
vicious and bloodthirsty in the swampy lands of North America, and that
night we had got into a region of swamps. It may also, perhaps, be
unknown to some people that mosquitoes do not slumber--unless, indeed,
they do it on a preconcerted plan of relieving guard. Either there is a
"day and night shift" or they do not rest at all. As a consequence _we_
did not rest. Groans and maledictions were the order of the night. We
spent much time in slapping our own faces, and immolated hundreds of the
foe at each slap, but thousands came on to refill the ranks. We buried
our heads under our blankets, but could not sleep for suffocation. Some
of the men left their faces exposed, went to sleep in desperate
exhaustion, after hours of fruitless warfare, and awoke with eyes all
but shut up, and cheeks like dumplings. Others lay down to leeward of
the fire and spent the night in a compound experience of blood-sucking
and choking. One ingenious man--I think it was Salamander--wrapped his
visage in a kerchief, leaving nothing exposed save the point of his nose
for breathing purposes. In the morning he arose with something like a
huge