ty miles in our rear. We are making
splendid time."

Little did they imagine at that moment how great a change was close at
hand. The river glided smoothly between its massive walls with scarce a
murmur.

An hour later Forbes held up a warning finger. An ominous sound was
heard far below that increased in volume with every second.

"Cling to the raft for your lives," shouted Chutney.

The first words were audible; the last were drowned in the mighty roar
of the water, so sudden was its approach. By the torchlight they saw for
an instant the billows of tossing spray. Then the raft plunged madly
like a thing of life, a great wave broke over it with stunning force,
and all was darkness.

None could remember clearly what happened after that. Plunging over the
crests of enormous waves, whirling round and round in dizzy revolutions,
drenched by icy showers of spray, grinding and crashing on countless
rocks, the raft went on its way through that awful stretch of rapids,
holding together by nothing short of a miracle. A full hour it lasted,
though it must have seemed like days to the wretched voyagers.

Then the wild pitching and tossing subsided, the crash of the furious
water grew fainter, and all was calm and peaceful as before.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

MORE MISERY.

Perceiving that the danger was over, Guy ventured to sit up. His clothes
were dripping wet, but fortunately he kept his matches in a tin box, and
striking one cautiously, he lit a torch which had been lying partly
under his body, and was not too damp to burn.

His companions were still sprawled out on the raft, holding to the logs
with all their strength. When Guy assured them that all danger was past
they sat up, looking very pale and dazed.

"That was awful," said the colonel. "It's a miracle the raft lived
through such a ride."

"The canoe is gone," exclaimed Forbes. "Washed clear off the deck,
and---- Why, hello, what's the matter, Chutney?"

Guy was looking about the raft with a ghastly and fear-stricken
countenance, holding the torch over his head.

"A terrible calamity has happened," he cried in a voice that was
strangely unnatural. "I fear we are lost men. Where are the provisions?
Where are our torches?"

"By gracious, they are gone!" declared the colonel. "Clean gone!"

It was truly a terrible situation in which they, found themselves. The
provisions and the torches had bee