it was our duty to try.

The doctor now bent down over the water, and I could see that it was
rising faster than ever.

All at once Jimmy seemed to rouse himself, throwing up his waddy with
his foot and catching it in his hand.

"No water go down," he said. "Mass Joe, Mass Jack, doctor, an all a let
get up higher; no get wet. Top along get drown, die, and bunyip pull um
down an eat um!"

"I'm afraid escape is impossible, Jimmy," I said sadly.

"No know what um say!" cried the black impatiently.

"Can't get away," I said.

"No get way! Waitum, waitum! Jimmy--Jimmy see!"

He went to the edge of the shelf and dipped one foot in the water, then
the other, worked his toes about, and then, after a contemptuous look at
the blacks, who were calmly awaiting their fate, he looked up at the
face of the rock beyond the curving over abutment, and, reaching up as
high as he could, began to climb.

It did not seem to occur to him at first that if he were able to escape
no one else would be, and he tried twice with a wonderful display of
activity, which resulted merely in his slipping back.

Then he tried elsewhere in two places, but with the same result, and
after a few more trials he came to me and stood rubbing the back of his
head, as if puzzled at his being so helpless and beaten at every turn.

"Get much, too much water, Mass Joe!" he said. "What um going to do?"

I shook my head sadly, and went to where the doctor was watching the
progress of the rushing river as it rose inch by inch--cracks and points
of rock that we had before noticed disappearing entirely, till the
flowing earth-stained surface was but a few inches below the ledge where
we were grouped, waiting for the time when we should be swept away.

In spite of the knowledge that at most in an hour the ledge would be
covered I could not help watching the rushing stream as it dashed along.
It was plain enough to me now why the sides of the gorge were so smooth
and regular, for the action of the water must have been going on like
this for many ages after every storm, and, laden as the waters were with
masses of wood and stone, with pebbles and sand, the scouring of the
rocks must have been incessant.

Then my thoughts came back to our horrible position, and I looked round
in despair, but only to be shamed out of any frantic display of grief by
the stoical calmness with which all seemed to be preparing to meet their
fate.

Still the water rose steadil