410 A DANGEROUS RAPID. 



into oui' faces, and the crew straining at their oars as 

 if for bare life — now all together, now on one side only, 

 and now all suddenly backing water at a shout from 

 the guide, who sees that huge stone right in our 

 course. Round with the sweep ! push off with those 

 poles ! backwater, good oarsmen, or we must strike, 

 and shall infallibly smash to pieces ! Ha ! a long 

 breath of suspense — hurra ! there we go safely past 

 the rock ; but heavens ! there is another we cannot 

 escape ; pull men, pull ! keep her bow off, boys, 

 push, hard ! Ha ! there's a shock, we've struck the 

 stone, and for an instant hang upon it ; the seething 

 waters rushing past, and in their frantic endeavours to 

 bear us onward straining every plank and timber, 

 which crack loudly. " Ah bon Dieu ! Ah Seigneur ! 

 Brise en morceaux ! " such are the impassioned 

 exclamations which display the alarm and anxiety of 

 om' guide, who redoubles his efforts notwithstanding, 

 and, actively seconded by the crew — who vie w^ith 

 him in exertions and noise — he succeeds in releasing 

 the craft, and, whii'ling round for an instant in a 

 bubbling eddy, we rush on again like a steam-engine. 

 Do you see that black abrupt point of rocks, against 

 which the torrent hurls itself in impotent fury, 

 dashing high in snowy masses and sparkling foam, 

 and those surging rollers passing over rocky obstruc- 



