ly across it,
with the hope of reaching some source of food supply, seemed better
than to remain where they were, and accordingly they began to collect
material for a raft.

They had hardly started at this when Worth called out that he saw a
canoe lodged in a clump of shrubbery.

They all looked where he pointed, and all saw it. Although it was not
more than a hundred yards from them, the full force of the current must
be encountered for the entire distance before one could reach it.

All were agreed that they must obtain it, if possible, and that their
very lives might depend upon getting that canoe. First Billy Brackett
threw off his clothing, and plunging into the chill waters, attempted
to swim to it. He had not covered half the distance before he was
compelled to turn back utterly exhausted. Then Glen Elting and Sumner
undertook the task together, but splendid swimmers as they were, they
could no more stem that resistless flood than they could have flown to
the canoe.

As they were dejectedly resuming their clothing in the "shanty" they
were startled by a shout from outside. Winn Caspar had solved the
problem. While the others were watching the fruitless struggles of
Glen and Sumner from one side of the raft he had slipped overboard from
the other, and swam diagonally across the current to a hedge of
oleanders, the tops of which were still above water. This hedge
extended to the river, and passed within fifty yards of the shrubbery
in which the canoe was caught.

When Winn reached the oleanders he was considerably below the raft, and
of course nearly twice as far from the canoe as when he started. He
had anticipated this, however, and now began to work his way back
against the current by pulling himself from one bush to another. When
he reached a point abreast the raft the others saw him and shouted. He
only waved his hand in reply and kept on, while they watched him with
eager interest. As he gained a position opposite the canoe they
shouted again, but still he kept on, until he was nearly a hundred
yards above it.

Then, after a long rest, he left the friendly oleanders, and struck out
with brave strokes for the coveted object. He was now again swimming
diagonally across the current, and knew that even should he miss the
canoe, he would be borne down to the raft. But he did not miss it. He
had calculated too well for that; and when he again reached the raft,
he brought the _Psyche_ with him.