accident with the most painful interest.

"Hundreds of those poor people have already perished, and more will be
drowned, unless they have some help," I replied, much excited. "I am
going to try and get up there, so as to be of some service."

"O, I hope you will! But there are boats out picking them up already,"
added she, wringing her hands, as she realized more vividly the nature
of the terrible catastrophe.

"I'm going to do all I can," I replied, thrilled by the exciting scene,
which, though a mile distant, we could understand and realize.

I expected the hull of the steamer would float down the river with the
swift current, bringing with it all its fearful surroundings; but in her
haste to outstrip her competitor, she had run into the shallow water,
and when riven by the explosion, had sunk. The awful scene, therefore,
did not come down the stream, as I anticipated. In a few moments, three
steamboats, besides the one which had been engaged in the race, were
hovering about the wreck, and at least a dozen boats were busy in
picking up the sufferers.

I found that it was utterly impossible to make any progress against the
current with the raft. Though the wind was tolerably fresh from the
southward, and the sail drew well, it barely held its own. The wreck and
the raft remained about the same distance apart as at the moment of the
explosion. But it was a consolation to know that our services were not
absolutely needed, so abundant was the assistance afforded from the
shore, and from the passing steamers.

In a short time parts of the wreck began to come down the river. We
picked up a broken door, and other pieces of the wood-work, but nothing
of any great value. We kept a sharp lookout for any survivors who might
have been overlooked by the boats about us; but as yet we saw none, or
even any who had been killed. Finding we could be of no service, I was
about to turn the raft, and resume our voyage, when Flora called my
attention to an object floating at some distance from us.

"It's a woman, Buckland!" exclaimed she, clasping my arm with convulsive
energy.

"So it is," I replied, with my heart almost in my throat.

We were all too young and inexperienced to behold a human being
apparently at the gates of death without a tremendous sensation of
horror.

"Hookie!" gasped Sim, after he had gazed an instant at the object, his
breath collapsing as he uttered the favorite expression.

"Can't you save her?" cr