carry her clear of a rock that lay in her course.
Therefore out shot Dick's long pole, and the moment that he felt the jar
of it upon the rock he threw his whole weight upon it in the attempt to
save the canoe. The shock was tremendous, the canoe was turned
violently broadside-on to the current, and at that critical moment
Dick's pole snapped clean in two, the recoil sending the youngster
headlong into the boiling current, while the next moment the canoe swept
up against the submerged rock, was rolled over and over, and her
remaining occupants were flung into the swirl.

The moment that Dick felt the pole snap in his hand he knew that a
capsize was inevitable, and, with the instinct which belongs to the
accomplished swimmer, he at once made up his mind what would be the best
thing for him to do. If he could manage to get into the centre of the
main current he could probably retain his position there, and so swim
the remainder of the distance to the lower end of the rapids in safety,
provided that he could avoid the rocks. There was no use in looking out
for the others; they were as well able to take care of themselves as he
was; besides, they would each stand a better chance apart than together
in that mad turmoil. As for the canoe, she must take her chance;
probably she would be smashed to splinters; but if so, it would only
mean the making of another one. True, it would involve a month's delay,
but time of late had seemed to lose its value for them all; they were
bound for a definite goal, which they would assuredly reach sooner or
later, and the loss of a month or two seemed a mere trifle not worth
consideration. Accordingly, the moment that Dick rose to the surface he
shook the foam and spray from his eyes, glanced round him, verified his
position, and at once struck out powerfully for the comparatively smooth
water that indicated the main current, noting, as he did so, that Phil
and the Peruvian were both swimming strongly, and that the canoe, full
of water, was slowly rolling over and over as she drove along through
the worst of the broken water. Five minutes of desperate struggle,
during which he had no time to think of anything but his own safety, and
during which he had several very narrow escapes of being dashed
violently against rocks and sustaining serious injuries, if not being
killed outright, and he suddenly found himself in smooth water, with the
canoe swinging hither and thither in the eddies, cl