it was hitched into was the clothes of Humpy Dee, who
had lain nearly where he had sunk, anchored by the weight of his irons,
in some hole where the pressure of the current was not so great as at
the surface.

In another minute the heavy figure had been hauled upon the platform, to
lie there apparently dead; while the blacks began, after their homely,
clumsy fashion, to try and crush out any tiny spark of life which might
remain, and kept on rolling the heavy body to and fro with all their
might.

"It's no good, boys," said the overseer, frowning down at the prisoner.
"Keep on for a bit, though;" and he turned away to watch the coming of
the boat, just as Pete sat up, looking dazed and strange, and Nic rose
to his knees, and then painfully seated himself in his old place.

"Better than I thought for," muttered the overseer. "One gone instead
of three--pull, boys," he shouted.

The blacks needed no telling, for they were exerting themselves to the
utmost, and in a few minutes one of the blacks on the landing-stage
caught the prow with the hook, and the boat was drawn alongside of the
woodwork, the dogs having quietly settled themselves in their place
behind the stern seat as soon as the two half-drowned men had shown
signs of recovery.

The overseer scanned the two dripping figures hard, uttered a grunt, and
turned once more to where the blacks were busy still with the heavy
figure of Humpy Dee, which they were rolling and rubbing unmercifully,
with the water trickling between the boards, and the sunset light giving
a peculiarly warm glow to the man's bronzed skin.

"Well," cried the overseer, "is he quite dead?"

"No, sah; am t'ink he quite 'livo," said one of the blacks.

"Eh? What makes you think that?"

"Him bit warm, massa--and just now him say _whuzz_, _whuzz_ when we rub
um front."

"No," said the overseer; "impossible. He was under the water too long.
Here, what are you doing?"

The black had laid his ear against the patient's breast, but he started
up again.

"Lissum; hear whever him dead, massa. You come, put your head down
heah, and you hear um go _wob_, _wob_ berry soffly."

Saunders bent down and laid his head against the man's bull-throat, to
keep it there for a few moments.

"No go _wob_, _wob_, sah?" cried the black. "You two and me gib um big
shake. Um go den."

"No, no; let him be," cried the overseer; and the blacks looked on in
perfect silence till their tyrant rose slowly to