e hurriedly dragged it off, his every nerve stirred, as from beneath
him arose McCray's wild and despairing cry. The next instant, though,
Norton had climbed the railing, heedless that he swept his garments into
the lake, and then, standing upon a portion of the woodwork, he gazed
down at the black water for a few moments, striving to make out the
centre of the fast-fading rings, before, with a plunge, he cut the air,
divided the waters, and disappeared.

In a few moments he was again on the surface, swimming round, and
preparing to dive again, feeling that he had come too late, and that in
the darkness it was impossible to render aid, when, within a yard of
where he was swimming, and seen but for an instant, the fingers and a
portion of a clutching hand were visible above the surface, and ere they
could sink far, Norton had grasped them in his hand. The next minute he
had avoided a dangerous embrace, and was striking out for the nearest
point, the slippery piles of the bridge, where, if he could swim so far
with his burden, he could, perhaps, hold up the drowning man till
assistance came.

It was a hard task, but Norton was a bold and strong swimmer, and before
long he was grasping at the slimy woodwork, to slip back again and
again; but, at last, he managed to get one arm over a cross-piece, and
his legs twined round an upright, while with his disengaged arm he did
all that he could under the circumstances--held the heads of the men
above water.

To his great joy he now heard voices, and saw a light moving about in
the grounds, when, shouting loudly, he saw a hurried movement of the
light, and two or three more cries brought the seekers in the right
direction.

"Quick, men--quick!" he cried, as some one ran up, and held down the
light, while others clustered round on the bank.

"Fetch the boat up," cried Sir Murray; and his voice sent a thrill
through Norton's frame, as he felt that he would have to face him. But
he was too much exhausted by his exertions to think much of the
threatened encounter. He knew he could hold out but a few minutes
longer, and he once more called to them to hasten.

"Who is it? What have you got there?" cried the man with the light.

"Two drowning men," was the hoarse reply; "and I can hold on but a few
minutes longer."

But now came the plash plash of oars, and in a very short time the boat
was by the bridge--a small pleasure-boat, into which, with great
difficulty, the two me