prison, not a little surprised at his quiet
acquiescence to all their purposes, when all was prepared, cast him,
as we have already described, into the sea, and quietly pulled away
from the spot. But no sooner did Aphiz find himself immersed in the
water than he commenced to cut the bag with his dagger, which he had
concealed in his bosom, and as he sank deeper and deeper towards the
bottom, quickly to release himself from the restraint of the heavy
canvas bag and shot that bore him still down, down, to the fearful
depth of the river's bed.

Aphiz Adegah was born near the sea-shore, and from childhood had
been accustomed to the freest exercise in the water. He was
therefore an expert and well-practised swimmer, and after he had
freed himself from the sack by the vigorous use of his dagger, he
gradually rose again to the surface of the water, but taking good
care to start away from the spot where he had been cast into the
sea, that he might not be observed by those who had been sent there
to execute the sentence of death upon him.

Still starting away and swimming under water, he gradually rose to
the surface far from the spot where he had first sunk, but after a
breath, still fearing detection, he dove again, and deeper and
deeper, sought to follow the current, until he should be beyond the
possibility of discovery. What a volume of thoughts passed through
his mind in the few seconds while he was descending in that fearful
confinement of the sack, and how vigorously he worked with the edge
of his dagger to cut an opening for escape, and when he drew that
one long inspiration as he rose to the surface and instantly plunged
again, what a relief it was to his aching lungs and overtasked
powers! But, as we have said, he was a practised swimmer, knew well
his powers, and confidently dove again into the depth of the waters.

As he sank deeper and deeper in this second dive, he found himself
suddenly losing all power and control over his body, and he felt as
though some invisible arm had seized upon him, and he was being
borne away he knew not whither. No effort of his was of the least
avail, and on, on, he was borne, and round and round he was turned
with the velocity of lightning, until he grew dizzy and faint, and
the density of the waters, acting upon the drums of his ears, became
almost insupportably painful, imparting a sensation as though the
head was between two iron plates, and a screw was being turned which
compr