had
engaged in it.

"'Tis Krake that will soon be there if all goes well," remarked
Karlsefin, with a laugh, as he came forward and ordered his canoe to be
pushed off. "I will be ready to follow, but you had better go first,
Thorward. If anything befalls you I am here to aid."

"Well, come along, lads," cried Thorward. "Get into the bow, Tyrker,
and see that you do your duty like a man. Much depends on you--more's
the pity!" He added the last words in a low voice, for Thorward, being
a very self-reliant man, would like to have performed all the duties
himself, had that been possible.

"Shove off!"

They shot from the bank and made for the rapid gallantly. Thorward's
shout quite eclipsed that of Heika on taking the rapid. Truly, if
strength of lung could have done it, he might have taken his canoe up
single-handed, for he roared like a bull of Bashan when Tyrker missed a
stroke of his paddle, thereby letting the bow sweep round so that the
canoe was carried back to the point whence it had started.

Tremendous was the roar uttered by Thorward when they faced the rapid
the second time, and fierce was the struggle of the men when in it, and
anxious was Tyrker to redeem his error--so anxious, in fact, that he
missed another stroke and well-nigh fell overboard!

It is said that "Fortune favours the brave." There was no lack of
bravery in Tyrker--only lack of experience and coolness--and Fortune
favoured him on this occasion. If he had _not_ missed a stroke and
fallen forward, his miscalculation of aqueous forces would have sent the
canoe past the mark in the opposite direction from the last time; but
the missed stroke was the best stroke of all, for it allowed the canoe
to shoot into the first eddy, and converted a terrific roar of wrath
from Thorward into a hearty cheer.

Resting a few moments, as Heika and his crew had done, they then
addressed themselves to the second part of the rapid. Here Thorward
steered so well that the canoe took the stream at the proper angle; but
Tyrker, never having perceived what the right angle was, and strongly
impressed with the belief that the bow was pointing too much up the
river, made a sudden stroke on the wrong side! The canoe instantly flew
not only to the tail of the eddy, but right across it into the wild
surges beyond, where it was all but upset, first to one side then to the
other, after which it spun round like a teetotum, and was carried with
fearful violence