A MAN IN DANGER. 405 



traordinary and slippery foothold was a man, and that 

 that man saw him, and, though benumbed and in a feeble 

 state, half mad he waved and wrung his hands en 

 treating for assistance. 



To rush back to the village and alarm the inhabitants 

 was but the work of a few moments, and when the entire 

 population arrived upon the bridge the morn was bright 

 er, and with a thrill of horror they beheld a man upon 

 that little rock, each welling- up of the whirlpools laving 

 his very feet, and resembling chilling messengers from 

 the angry roar below, sent to claim him for destruction. 

 There was no mistaking the signs for assistance continu 

 ally made by the lonely, lorn, and wretched figure ; his 

 voice was already drowned by the shrieking waters, when 

 a spontaneous cry arose from the lookers-on for a reward 

 to any one who would save the miserable being. A sum 

 was named as the reward of rescue, and an American it 

 is just to humanity that I should name his country 

 volunteered to save him for that sum ; and in a short time 

 produced a raft and a length of rope, which, let down 

 from the bridge, could be guided to the miserable sufferer. 

 There was, however, one present who had saved more 

 lives in that river, and knew the currents, whirlpools, and 

 strength of the tide better than anybody else. This was 

 a Mr Robinson, a carpenter by trade, and he warned the 

 people that the only way to save the man's life was to drop 

 the raft, after it had reached the rock and received its bur 

 then, down to a little island nearer to the main island, 

 from which, at the risk of his own life, he engaged to take 

 the man in safety in his boat. But no ; the wretch pos 

 sessing the raft refused this wise and humane counsel, on 

 the plea that he had undertaken the job, and that no other 

 person should interfere, nor share with him in the reward* 



