a fence
there, he hastened down the bank to the water's edge. The water was
not very deep, but it ran so rapidly that Ben could neither swim nor
stand upon the bottom; and but for his companion's promptness he would
undoubtedly have been drowned. Grasping the long pole which Harry
extended to him, he was drawn to the shore, having received no other
injury than a terrible fright and a good ducking.

"Here we are," said Harry, when his companion was safely landed.

"Yes, here we are," growled Ben; "and it is all your fault that we are
here."

"It is my fault that _you_ are here; for if I had not pulled you out
of the river, you would have been drowned," replied Harry,
indignantly; and perhaps he felt a little sorry just then that he had
rescued his ungrateful commander.

"Yes, and if you had only done as I told you, and pushed for the shore
above the fall, all this would not have happened."

"And if you hadn't been a fool, we should not have tried to go through
such a hole. There goes your old boat"; and Harry pointed to the
wreck, filled with water, floating down the stream.

"Here they are!" shouted a voice, not far from them.

Harry started, and so did Ben.

"We are caught!" exclaimed Ben.

"Not yet," replied Harry, with some trepidation, as he broke off a
piece of the pole that lay at his feet, and retreated from the river.
"Take a club, for I am not going to be carried back without fighting
for it."

A survey of the ground and of the pursuers enabled him to prepare for
the future. He discovered at a glance the weakness of the assailants.

"Take a club, Ben. Don't you see there is only one man on this side of
the river? and we can easily beat him off."

Ben took the club; but he seemed not to have the energy to use it. In
fact, Harry showed himself better qualified to manage the present
interests of the expedition than his companion. All at once he
developed the attributes of a skillful commander, while his
confederate seemed to have lost all his cunning and all his
determination.

"Now, let us run; and if we are caught we will fight for it," said
Harry.

The boys took to their heels, and having a fair start of their
pursuer, they kept clear of him for a considerable distance; but Ben's
wet clothes impeded his progress, and Harry had too much magnanimity
to save himself at the sacrifice of his companion.

It was evident, after the chase had continued a short time, that
their pursuer was gaining u