ed to his great delight that
he was getting the log under control.

It steadily pursued a diagonal course, veering constantly nearer to the
left shore. Occasionally a swirl of the current pitched it toward
midstream, but a little perseverance put it right again.

The scene of Ned's capsize was now a good mile in the rear, and he was
satisfied that he would reach the bank in a short time--unless some
unforseen event occurred.

This was exactly what destiny had in store for the lad. A moment later a
sharp bend--unseen until too late--cast the log in the very center of
the creek, and while the sting of this misfortune was still fresh, Ned
heard a dull booming noise--the certain herald of either rapids or a
dam. The sound, though not loud, came from no great distance.

Its subdued tone showed that if rapids were ahead, they were not very
bad ones; if a dam, that it could not be high, else the falling water
would make a greater noise.

But Ned had no desire to tempt his fate in either. With what strength
was left in his numbed limbs he tried hard to drive the log shoreward.

Had a little more time been granted him he might have succeeded, but the
ruthless current swept him on with unceasing speed, and when the log was
still fifty feet from the left bank he saw the smooth stretch of water
before him merge into a seething line of turbulent waves and tawny foam.

The rude outline of a mill suddenly appeared on the left, proving
conclusively the existence of a dam.

All hope of reaching the shore was gone now. It was some slight
consolation to know that the dam was not a high one, and Ned boldly
faced the ordeal by swinging the log around until it pointed straight to
the line of foam. Then he hugged it closely to him and waited.

The suspense was brief. One swift rush to the brink, a quick slide down
a glistening slant of water--and then a headlong plunge into the
seething waves.

The log rushed on nobly, now under the billows, now high on their crest
until it struck a rock endwise, and turned broadside in the twinkling of
an eye. Ned parted company with it then and there--he couldn't help
it--and struggled on alone. He was in comparatively shallow water now,
and though the force of the current and the waves was terrific, he
finally gained a foothold on the slippery rocks, and waded waist deep
toward shore.

The water soon shallowed, and with a grateful heart he staggered out on
a stony beach.

He sat down for a m