lded to his weight and thrust, he seemed
to take a header over the bow, there was a tremendous splash, and the
water was driven over those seated forward.

The two blacks astern leaped up, and the overseer uttered a cry of rage;
the water closed over Humpy Dee's head, while the dogs set up a chorus
of baying as the boat glided steadily away.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

"WHAT'LL MASSA SAY?"

The scene taking place before him acted strangely upon Nic. It seemed
to rouse him from his dreamy state, and awakened him to a wild pitch of
excitement.

He sprang to his feet, and was on the point of springing overboard to
the man's help; but a touch from Pete upon the shoulder was enough: he
sank down beneath its pressure, weak and helpless as a child.

"What are you going to do?" whispered Pete. "Are you mad?"

"Help! Save him! Can you stand like that and see the man drown before
your eyes?"

"What can I do, lad?" growled Pete angrily. "If I go over after him,
it's to drown myself. These irons'll stop a man from zwimming, and take
one to the bottom like a stone."

"Ay, ay; ye can't do 'un," growled one of the other prisoners, in whom
the desire for escaping died out on the instant. "Sit still, lad; sit
still."

But Pete stood with staring eyes, gazing wildly at the place where his
enemy had disappeared; the veins in his forehead swelled, his lips
parted, and he panted as he drew his breath, looking ready at any moment
to leap overboard and make an effort to save his old companion's life.

Meanwhile the overseer was shouting orders to his blacks ashore as well
as to those in the boat, which was gliding faster up the stream, and the
men laid down their guns and picked up and put out a couple of oars, the
dogs barking frantically the while.

"Pete Burge," whispered one of the men, "we must make friends now.
Here's our chance; shall we take it?"

"No, no," cried Pete furiously, but without taking his eyes from where
Humpy had disappeared.

"I cannot bear it," panted Nic to himself, as he once more sprang up;
and before he could be stayed he dived out of the boat, rose, and struck
out for the landing-stage.

Pete shouted at him in his agony, and jumped overboard to save him,
forgetting what was bound to happen, and going down like a stone, feet
foremost, but rising to the surface again, to fight gallantly in spite
of the weight of his irons, and strive to overtake Nic, who,
unencumbered, was some yards away.