"you'll find the rest of us willing enough. But
let's get a move on. We must find a way out of this today sure."

They started out, filled with confidence. Jack's plan was tried in
several different places; but without any success.

"Say, there don't seem to be any current at all," remarked Nick, as he
watched the dead leaf that had been thrown on the water, and which
failed to move save as the faint breeze dictated.

"But we're going to keep on trying all the same," declared George,
firmly. "Sooner or later we'll strike a place where it does show life.
Then we'll just follow after it, and in that way discover an opening
where this water joins the river again."

"That's the talk," said Nick. "I like to hear that kind of stuff. It
shows that George is there with the goods. Just see how he uses that
pole. I tell him he'd make a bully old gondolier over in Venice."

"Oh! yes, you're a regular old jollier, Buster," scoffed George, who
had seen the fat boy wink slyly toward Jack. "You just think to keep
me in a good humor while I slave away, and you sit there like a king,
giving orders."

"Well, you won't let me stand up and push," complained the other.

"Not unless I'm hankering for a spill. Lead the way, Jack. You know
more about these things than the rest of the bunch. It's up to you to
be our Moses and get us out of the bullrushes."

CHAPTER XXII.

THE DISCOVERY.

"Oh, joy! she moves!"

It was late in the afternoon when Nick gave utterance to this shout.
For the twentieth time the test had been made, and they could see the
leaf traveling away from the side of the _Tramp_.

Evidently there was a gentle but decided movement to the water, and
this could not be caused by the breeze, because that had long since
died away.

So, with hope once more stirred into life, they started to follow the
drifting messenger. Its speed gradually increased. In half an hour
there did not seem to any longer be the slightest doubt but that it was
in a genuine current.

When the night began to settle in they were so eager that Jack lighted
one of his acetylene lamps, and kept the now quickly moving leaf under
observation.

"Listen!" exclaimed George, suddenly.

"It's the music of the river, that's what!" cried Nick.

And that turned out to be the truth. None of them had ever believed
they would welcome the sight of that vast billowy flood with one-half
the joy that possessed them as they broke through t