rate until assistance came. And the water was rising, of course.
Would rescue or the water arrive first?

He looked up painfully through the clammy gloom. Nothing save patches of
sky, seen between the black beams, greeted his eyes. There was no sound
save that of the water--_splash, splash, drip, drip_. For an instant the
fear of death conquered him, and he almost shrieked.

However, as physical exhaustion renewed its hold upon him, he grew
calmer. He began to recall what had happened. He had fallen into the
section--no--he had been pushed in. There flashed upon him the vision of
a sullen, black-haired labourer, whom he had refused to reinstate; this
act was O'Donnell's revenge.

What had happened after that? The man would scarcely have had time to
make his escape before Garstin came up. Well, it did not matter--he had
heard Garstin's voice since in proof that he had survived any possible
encounter. And the absence of Garstin, the oppressive silence now?
Garstin had gone for help, of course. A boy like that could do nothing
by himself even if he had the nerve; and Garstin had none. However, he
would not be long in finding the watchman, and bringing him to the
rescue. They ought to be here now. They certainly ought to be here now.

Nervously anxious, he listened for any sound of footfall or voice. Did
Garstin realise the danger of the black water that was rising, ever
rising? Had he by any evil chance failed to find the watchman at his
post?

A smooth wave flowed slowly over the beam, and he shuddered.

Suddenly--after hours, as it seemed--something flickered on the surface
of the water in front of him. A shadowy white gleam it was. It danced
before his eyes like a mocking spirit--and was gone. But shortly it
reappeared, and with it a lantern and a rope, with somebody clinging to
the end of the rope. Trevannion had just time to recognise the figure of
Garstin, swaying slowly above him, before he lost consciousness.

* * * * *

Garstin got him out, of course. But it was many days before Trevannion
learned the details of the rescue.

It appeared that Garstin had arrived just in time to witness O'Donnell's
treacherous attack, and to confront the infuriated man as he turned to
retreat. In a blind frenzy the boy sprang at his enemy, and the latter,
taken by surprise, went down with a crash, striking his head on a heap
of stones, and lay senseless.

Thereupon Garstin, with the one idea