torrent, whose volume
was increasing with great rapidity. The sinuosities of the creek had
caused it to gather in a large part of the rain that had fallen some
miles away, and its usual boundaries were overflowed.

It was well that Fred had tied his canoe to the tree that was quite a
distance from the stream, for had he not done so it would have been
swept away like an egg shell. As it was, the water had reached the base
of the tree, while the boat was bobbing up and down almost in a straight
line with the course of the creek, as though it was tugging to get
loose.

"My gracious, Terry!" said Fred, "this is a little worse than I
expected; it is going to be hard work to get across."

"Ye are right for once," added the other, gravely shaking his head;
"them rapids are a little closer than I loike."

"It seems to me," added Fred, who was unwilling to admit that he was
afraid to try the task, "that I have gone over the creek when it was
just as high and rapid, and have crossed at this place, too."

"Who swung the paddle?"

"Father did once and Mr. Bowlby at another time."

"Did ye iver manage the paddle yersilf when the creek got onto one of
its tears?"

"I don't remember that I have, but that has been only because the need
did not arise; I am not afraid to try it, even if you are."

"Who said I was afraid?" demanded Terry; "I'm riddy to hop into the boat
and sway the paddle mesilf, and I'll do it, too."

He stepped into the water, which was up to his shoe tops, and began
drawing in the rawhide rope which held the frail boat from breaking
away. His companion laughed and said nothing until the canoe was at
their feet and drawn up on the land away from the rushing current.

"Don't be quite so touchy, Terry; that boat belongs to me and I can
handle the paddle better than you; anyway I shall try to take us to the
other side, and all that you have to do is to keep those limbs and trees
from capsizing us."

The time occupied in pulling the boat to the spot had given the Irish
lad a chance to regain his usual good nature, and he made no protest
against the decision of his companion, though Terry was no unskillful
handler of the paddle himself.

The creek was probably over a hundred feet wide, and the roiled current
abounded with limbs and trees that swung up and down, sometimes out of
sight and then popping up again, as though they were frolicking in the
swift waters. It would require a strong arm and a cool head