ave
Bill, who was partly pinned under the canoe and was rapidly drowning
right before his eyes.

Bills eyes were turning glassy, Bob thought, as he made a final effort
to get the canoe free. He succeeded in doing this, but not as he
expected, for his weight and the weight of the water as it swept along
crumpled up the canoe and suddenly he found himself rushing down the
rapids just like a wisp of straw on a miniature stream such as little
boys sometimes make in the gutters. All at once he felt Bill's body bump
him and instinctively he grabbed it and though bruised in a hundred
places, he finally shot out at the foot of the rapids still clutching
Bill's limp form. Bob was himself practically unconscious, but struggled
to keep himself and Bill afloat as if under some superpower.

A moment later, the others were there and they soon had Bob and Bill out
on the bank. Bill was far gone, as he not only had been half drowned
when pinned under the canoe but he had knocked his head against the
rocks in the latter part of his descent. First aid was given to him
first. He was stretched out over a log and then his arms were worked to
get the air back into his lungs. In about five minutes, Bill opened his
eyes and with a big sigh closed them again. A few minutes later he was
sitting up, still in rather a dazed condition, but fast recovering. Bob
had received quite a cut on his head, but he had not actually lost
consciousness and he fast recuperated. He was up and about in a little
while, apparently none the worse for his strenuous exertions.

"That was a close call," said Mr. Waterman.

"I should think so," said Pud. "When I saw Bob plunge into those rapids,
I thought he was a fool, for I could not see how he could do anything."

"He saved my life all right," said Bill. "I was pinned under that canoe
and was nearly drowned when Bob got there. I didn't get get this bump on
the head until afterwards. I saw Bob come, but I was so nearly all in
that I could only struggle faintly to get a breath of air now and then.
When the canoe suddenly broke in two, I shot down and I must have hit a
rock for I knew nothing more until I woke up on the bank."

"You deserve a great deal of credit, Bob," said Mr. Anderson, "not only
for your heroism but for the quick presence of mind you showed in doing
the only thing that had a chance of saving Bill's life."

"You beat me to it all right," said Mr. Waterman. "The way you got out
of that canoe and