rom time to time.

"Bravo! All together! Now you have it! Well rowed, boys! Put your
backs into it! You'll fetch it! British muscle and British pluck for
ever! Never say die, lads! That's your style! Keep it up! Well done,
Mr Brace! Well done, Mr Briscoe! Well done all! Ah-h-h!"

This last sounded like a snarl from the mate--it was uttered fiercely,
and was long-drawn-out and savage in the extreme.

But he felt that he had made a mistake, and he now roared:

"Go on--go on! Don't stop to look round you. Keep on rowing for your
lives, lads, and we'll do it yet!"

He was just in time, for the men's efforts had begun to slacken and
something of a panic was setting in amongst them.

Everyone grasped the fact that the long reach they were now making had
been a terrible error. It had brought them closer in than ever to the
high mass of rocks over which the upper portion of the river was
precipitated.

Somehow from the configuration of the country this high ground affected
the course of the wind, or else it had suddenly dropped, for to the
horror of the rowers the sail, which had fairly bellied out, began to
collapse, and a minute later hung flapping against the mast, doing
nothing to help the progress of the boat out of the peril in which she
lay.

"Pull!" roared the mate. "Pull for your lives, my lads!"

He sprang forward, and, just retaining his hold upon the tiller with one
hand, he planted his foot against the bow man's oar and kept giving a
thrust in time with each stroke.

Brace's first idea was that they ought to tack at once, but he grasped
the fact directly after that there was not time, for in the attempt to
achieve the manoeuvre the boat would lose so much way that they would be
swept irredeemably closer towards the falls; and he went on thrusting
with all his might, knowing full well that the mate was right, and that
their only chance was to row on parallel with the falls till they could
reach the farther shore.

"Pull for your lives!" were the last words the mate shouted, and they
were but faintly heard in the heavy roar, and the men pulled as they had
never pulled before.

They pulled till the rough ashen oars bent and threatened to snap in
two, and as Brace kept on with his regular swing and thrust his position
was rendered more horrible by his being face to face with the men and
forced to see their starting eyes, their strained faces, and the glint
of their white set teeth, as th