teps were treading
down the long wet grass and heavy sedge itself, and that any distinct
pathway no longer remained to guide us. I began to doubt Aleck's
knowledge of the road, which he still maintained to be unshaken; but
the next two steps settled the matter, by bringing us both up to the
middle in a running river. We scrambled out without saying a word,
Aleck being silent from confusion, and I fearing to increase it by
reproaches. He began to grope about for the path we had come by; and
finding what he thought our track, pursued it a few steps to the
right. I thought I had it to the left, and began to explore in that
direction. "Hallo! where are you now?" I cried, as I missed him from
my side. He answered, "Here," from a considerable distance lower down.
"Where?" I repeated.--"Hereawa," he answered.--"Hereawa, thereawa,
wandering Willie," I hummed in bitter jollity, as I proceeded in the
direction of the voice, "Hereawa, thereawa, haud your way hame,"
when--squash, crash, bolt, heels over head--plump I went over a brow
into a very Devil's Punch-Bowl; for bottom I found none, though shot
from the bank with the impetus of an arrow. Down I went, the water
closing over me in strata and substrata, each one colder than the
other, till I expected to find my head at last clashing against the
young ice wedges of a preternatural frost below. I sank at least
fifteen feet before I could collect my energies and turn. I thought I
would never reach the top. To it at last I came, sputtering, blown,
and fairly frightened. I never waited to consider my course, but
striking desperately out, swam straight forward till I came bump
against the bank. I clambered up, and listened. The first sound I
could distinguish, after the bubbling and hissing left my ears, was
Aleck's voice nearly before me, on the opposite side. He was singing
out something between a howl and a halloo; for he also had got into
the water, and could not find bottom anywhere but on the spot he
occupied. He could not swim a stroke. There was nothing for it but to
go back and rescue him. The unexpectedness alone of my first dip had
caused my confusion. That was gone off, and I again plunged resolutely
into the river, which I now could discern grey in the clearing mist.
A few strokes brought me to where the poor fellow stood, with his arms
extended upon the water, and his neck stretched to the utmost to keep
it out of his mouth. I knew the danger of taking an alarmed man of