thought--that he must
save that poor, weak fellow's life.

It takes long to describe, but in the real action all was condensed into
less than a minute. Pete, who fought wildly, frantically, to keep his
head above water, fought in vain, for his fettered legs were fast losing
their power, and he was being drawn gradually lower and lower, till,
after throwing his head back to gasp for a fresh breath, he straightened
his neck again, with the water at his eyes, and saw that what he could
not achieve the current had done for him.

He made a wild, last effort, and caught with one hand at the arm just
within reach; his fingers closed upon it with a grip of iron, and
another hand caught desperately at his hair.

Then the water closed over the pair, joined together in a death-grip,
and the tide rolled them unresistingly up the stream.

"Pull, pull!" yelled the man in the bows, as he reached out with his
oar; but he could not touch the place where he saw the figures
disappear. Quick as thought, though, and with the clever method of one
accustomed to the management of a fishing-boat, the man changed his
tactics. He laid the oar over the prow, treating the iron stem as a
rowlock, and gave a couple of strokes with all his might, pulling the
boat's head round, and bringing it well within reach of the spot where
Nic's back rose and showed just beneath the surface. Then, leaving the
oar, the man reached over, and was just in time to get a good hold, as
the oar dropped from the bow into the river, and he was almost jerked
out of the boat himself.

"Hold hard, lads, and come and help," he yelled.

The help came; and, with the dogs barking furiously and getting in every
one's way, Nic and Pete, tightly embraced, were dragged over into the
bottom of the boat, the blacks, as soon as this was done, standing
shivering, and with a peculiar grey look about the lips.

At that moment there was a distant hail from the landing-stage, and the
big smith pulled himself together and hailed in reply.

"Ah, look!" he cried; "you white fellow lose one oar. Quick, sharp!
come and pull. Massa Saunders make trebble bobbery if we lose dat."

The oars were seized, and with two of the prisoners helping to row, the
oar was recovered from where it was floating away with the tide, the
others trying what they could do to restore the couple, who lay
apparently lifeless; while the dog which had behaved so strangely
earlier in the day stood snuffing abo