at him,--

"No, no, my lad; don't make matters worse! You mustn't do that. The
things have moved out of the river in here to be away from the rush and
to get food. We don't want you pulled under."

"But we must go on, Naylor," cried Brazier in agony.

"It ain't the way to help him, getting ourselves killed, sir," retorted
Shaddy. "Let's get more in. Water don't go far."

He was quite right, for after about ten minutes' struggle along the edge
they found themselves as nearly as they could guess about opposite to
the spot where their unfortunate companion had been swept out of the
boat, but about a hundred yards inland and separated from the regular
bed of the stream by a dense growth of trees, whose boughs interlaced
and stopped all vision in every direction, more especially toward the
river.

"You see, we must wade," cried Rob; and he stepped into the water with a
plash, but Shaddy's strong hand gripped him by the shoulder and drew him
back.

"I tell you it's madness, boy. If he's alive still you couldn't reach
him that way."

"If he's alive!" groaned Rob.

"If he's alive," said Shaddy, repeating his words. "Steady a moment!
He may be up in one of the boughs, for he's as active as a monkey in
rigging and trees."

Then, putting his hands to his mouth, he shouted in stentorian tones,--

"Ahoy! ahoy!"

But there was no response, and Rob and Brazier exchanged glances, their
faces full of despair.

"Ahoy!" shouted Shaddy once more.

Still no reply, and a cold chill ran through Rob and his eyes grew dim
as he thought of the bright, handsome, dark-eyed lad who had been his
companion so long, and with whom he had been such friends till the
miserable little misunderstanding had thrust them apart.

"It must be farther on," said Brazier at last, when shout after shout
had been sent up without avail.

"Think so, sir?" said Shaddy gloomily. "I thought it was about here,
but p'r'aps you're right. Come on. River made a big twist there, and
it's hard to tell distance shut up half in the dark among the trees. I
did hope," he continued, as he forced his way in among the trees and
held boughs aside for them to follow, "that the poor lad had swung
himself up and would have made his way like a squirrel from branch to
branch till he reached dry land, but it don't seem to be so. There,
sir, we must be 'bout opposite where we saw him. Can't be no farther.
Ahoy! ahoy! ahoy!"

They all listened intently after t