les with
half-averted eyes.

Howard and Martin were the first to return, both flushed with anxious
excitement. Then came the Doctor, sadly out of breath, and much
distressed.

"But Digby is a good swimmer, is he not?" asked the Doctor.

"Few better in the school," answered Mr. Featherstone. "I don't like to
think of the worst, but there are strong eddies in the pool this morning,
and the river runs at a furious rate after the heavy rain. My fear is that
he left the pool, and was caught by an eddy, and swung upon the rocks. In
that case he may have been rendered insensible, and so have been drowned."

The boys returned one after another, and each unsuccessful. The boatmen
soon arrived.

"Have you heard or seen anything this morning of Mr. Digby?" asked the
Doctor of Mason, the manager of all the boating arrangements of the
school.

"No, sir; but my man, who was agoing out to see after his lines, about six
this morning, said as how he see something dark floating down the river,
but he didn't pay much heed to it, till he called it to mind when the
young gentlemen came down just now, and said as how Mr. Digby were
missing."

"Then, should we not commence the search low down the river?" asked the
Doctor.

"'Taint no manner of use," answered Mason; "with the current runnin' like
this, he'd be ten mile away and more, by this time, if it was him, or more
likely out at sea, as the tide would have met the river by this time. But
you see, sir, it mightn't have been him after all, for there's lots o'
snags and things floating down this morning after last night's rain."

But Dr. Brier would leave no stone unturned. Messengers were sent on
horseback to every town and village on either side of the river, for
twenty miles down; the river was dragged; boatmen were sent out to search;
everything that could be done was done. But the afternoon came and no
tidings. Messengers were sent early to Mr. Morton. All the towns and
villages around were in excitement, but nothing came of it, and by evening
the conviction was borne home to every heart, too clearly for hope to set
aside, that Digby Morton was dead.

CHAPTER VI.

A BREAK-UP.

[Illustration: "IN A MOMENT, MR. FEATHERSTONE WAS STANDING ON THE ROCK."]

Pacing up and down the river bank in a terrible excitement, or sitting in
some solitary place with his eyes staring vacantly, or with head buried in
his trembling hands, through which the tears would trickle, a man migh