but only to resume his old
position, for he awoke to the fact that the men seemed to be making a
last desperate attempt to get out of the rushing water.

And now, as he unclosed his eyes, it was to find himself in the clear
sunshine with the boat dashing at headlong speed through the water, her
port gunwale only an inch or two from the surface and the wet sail
bellied out in a dangerous way, while Dan was holding on by the sheet.

The roar of the water was stunning, but the sudden change in the state
of affairs seemed to stun him far more, till it gradually dawned upon
him that they had rowed on in their desperation till the boat had passed
into a current of air, one caused by the wind striking against and being
reflected from the rocks at one side of the falls, and by whose help
they were gliding so rapidly into safer waters that the men suddenly
ceased rowing, while Lynton uttered a yell.

"Look, look!" he shouted. "Do you see? Do you see?"

"See? How?" panted Briscoe. "I am nearly blind with staring at death."

"Yes, yes, but look, look! Mr Brace--the water, the water! We have
got into an eddy, and it is setting right away from the falls."

Brace turned round and saw that Lynton's words were true. He sat
staring at the water until he was recalled to a sense of what was
passing around him by hearing Lynton's voice.

"Oh, catch hold, sir; catch hold of this tiller and steer. Let her go--
fast as she will--so as to get away from this horrid place. Quick!
quick! I can't bear it! I'm going mad!"

Brace snatched at the tiller, and only just in time, for Lynton's grasp
upon it gave out, and with a lurch forward he fell upon his face, which
was, however, saved from injury, for he had clasped his hands upon it,
and now lay in the bottom of the boat, hysterically sobbing with emotion
like a girl.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

BRISCOE'S YELLOW FEVER.

Brace felt shocked at seeing a strong man so overcome, and carefully
refrained from glancing at the American, for fear of seeing a look of
contempt in his eyes.

But the weakness passed away as quickly as it had come, and Lynton
sprang up, to give a sharp glance round at the surface of the broad
stretch of water, and then he turned to the others, but he did not speak
for a few moments.

"We're all right," he said then, in a quiet voice. "That current don't
spread as far as this. Why, it was exactly like looking death right in
the face, and when I'd wound