n't miss the way,
now."

As he spoke, a heavy fire of musketry opened from the French, upon
the other side. Alarmed at the sudden fire on the part of the
Germans, they fired at the flashes of their guns and, fresh
reinforcements coming up on either side, a heavy exchange of
musketry shots took place across the river; partially over the
boys' heads, but principally a hundred yards lower down the stream,
in the direction where the dummy was seen by the Germans.

The boys swam with long, steady, noiseless strokes.

"We must be halfway across," Ralph said.

"I am getting deadly cold, all over, Ralph. I can't sink, of
course; but I shall freeze to death, before I reach the opposite
bank."

"No, no, Percy," Ralph said, as cheerily as he could; though he
felt, himself, that the intense cold was rapidly overcoming his
strength. "Keep up your heart. Strike as hard as you can. The more
you exert yourself, the better."

In another minute or two, Ralph found he was leaving Percy behind,
and slackened his speed.

"Goodbye, Ralph. My legs are all cramped up, and my arms are
numbed. I can't swim another stroke. It is all up with me," he
said, faintly. "God bless you. Don't stop with me; you can do no
good, and your only chance is to go on."

Ralph, however, put one hand upon Percy's life belt, and struck out
for shore; but he felt that it was hopeless. Frightful pains were
shooting through his limbs, and he breathed what he believed to be
a last prayer; when a boom like thunder, a few yards off,
galvanized him into life again--for he saw the gunboat, which they
had seen in the morning, only a few yards distant. She had just
fired a gun, loaded with grape, in the direction of the Germans who
were firing. She was still at anchor, and the stream was drifting
them down fast upon her.

"Help!" Ralph shouted. "Help! We are drowning, and have dispatches
Throw a rope, quick!"

"Where are you?" answered a voice.

"Here, close to you, just abreast," Ralph shouted.

In another instant a rope struck his face. He grasped it, twisted
it tightly round Percy's body and his own, tied a rough knot with
his last strength, and then lost consciousness.

When he recovered his senses, his first sensation was that of
intense pain--so intense that it extracted a groan from him.

"That's right, rub away; and pour some more brandy down his
throat," a voice said.

Then he became conscious that he was being rubbed with hot
flannels. He open