irting them they were forced to cling to any indifferent handhold on
the rock's fissured side. As they toiled on, badly hampered by their
loads, the same thought was in the minds of two of the men--a wonder as
to how Gladwyne's exhausted party had crossed that portage, unless the
water had been lower. It was not difficult to understand how the
famishing leader had fallen and lamed himself.

When at last, toward the end of the afternoon, the stores had been
deposited on the banks of the pool below, Lisle sat down and filled his
pipe.

"It would take us most of two days to portage the canoe, and we might
damage her badly in doing so," he said. "The head of the rapid's
impossible, but with luck we might run her down the rest in about ten
minutes. The thing seems worth trying, though I wouldn't have risked it
with the stores on board."

"Suppose you swamped or upset her?" Nasmyth suggested.

"It's less likely, since she'd go light, with only two of us paddling."

Nasmyth considered. The sight of the rapid was not encouraging, but he
shrank from the intense effort that would be needed to transport the
craft by the way they had come. Eventually it was decided to leave Jake
below, ready to swim out with the tracking-line and seize the canoe if
any mishap befell, and Lisle and Nasmyth went back to the head of the
rapid. They dragged the canoe round the worst rush with infinite
difficulty; and then Nasmyth set his lips and braced himself for the mad
descent when his companion thrust her off.

A few strokes of the paddle drove them out into the stream, and then
their task consisted in holding her straight and swinging her clear of
the rocks that showed up through the leaping foam, which was difficult
enough. Seen from the water, the prospect was almost appalling, though it
was blurred and momentarily changing. Nasmyth's eyes could hardly grasp
salient details--he had only a confused impression of flying spray,
rushing green water that piled itself here and there in frothy ridges,
flitting rocks, and trees that came furiously speeding up toward him. He
had an idea that Lisle once or twice shouted sharp instructions and that
he clumsily obeyed, but he could not have told exactly what he did. He
only knew that now and then he paddled desperately, but more often he
knelt still, gazing fascinated at the mad turmoil in front of him.

At last there was an urgent cry from Lisle and he backed his paddle. The
canoe swerved, a foamin