y.

In the meantime, what had been the sensations of the unfortunate
engineer? As the thick mud slowly closed over his head he held the reed
tightly between his lips, and had little difficulty in breathing through
it. The mud was warm, and strange to say, he had a feeling almost of
comfort as he sank beneath it. Soon he felt an almost overpowering
desire to sleep. He knew, however, that if he yielded to this he would
lose his hold on the reed, and so fought off the perilous drowsiness.

Before very long he felt something hard under his feet, and was conscious
that he was no longer sinking. At first he was at a loss to know what
had stopped his downward progress, but at last decided he must have come
to rest on a sunken stump. This theory was confirmed when he felt
around, first with one foot and then with the other, and found that on
all sides of him there was only soft mud. But the stump beneath him
renewed his hope.

Above ground the rescuing party was plying its saws and hammers to good
effect, and in an incredibly short time had finished the rough raft.
This done they spread the remaining planks along the so-called path
leading into the swamp, and prepared to launch their "mud boat," as Tom
styled it.

The rude affair was hoisted up on the brawny shoulders of the laborers,
and they carried it into the swamp, treading very gingerly on the narrow,
quaking pathway. They "launched" it at a spot as near as possible to the
reed, and it was evident that it would give them an ample base from which
to conduct their operations.

Stout ropes were then brought, and one of the engineers reached down into
the soft mud directly under the spot where the reed disappeared. Quickly
drawing his hand up, he exclaimed, "I touched him easily that time!
Give me the rope, and I think I can reach down far enough to get it under
his arms."

The rope was given him, and, reaching far over the side of the raft, he
plunged his arms into the mud up to his shoulders. He manipulated the
rope deftly, and soon jumped to his feet, waving his muddy arms.

"I've got it tied, all right," he exclaimed. "Now, men, we'll see if we
can't pull the poor fellow out."

Three of the laborers took hold of the rope, and exerted all their
strength on it. Slowly, very slowly, inch by inch, they pulled it up,
until at last, amid a roar of cheers from them all, Hartley's head
appeared above the surface of the swamp, the reed still held between his