254 In the Heart of Africa 



Foam and spray splashed up and besprinkled the occupants of 

 the fragile craft. A few moments more and we were through, 

 gliding forward with increased speed for a time, and the danger, 

 of which we only had a vague appreciation, was over. Yet the 

 jabbering of the rowers, which immediately increased in anima- 

 tion, and the sudden lightening up and smiling expression of 

 their faces warned us that their previous apparent tranquillity 

 had only been assumed. 



Turning our heads we observed that the second boat had 

 sailed smoothly over the rocky river bed. The third one — 

 Czeczatka's " pirogue " — was just coming up. Its bows had 

 barely touched the line of foam when it suddenly turned 

 obstinately athwart the channel. Recognising the danger, a 

 Congolese Askari sprang up quickly, but a sudden side-jolt of 

 the canoe and — he vanished to rise no more. The next moment 

 the boat had capsized and thrown all its occupants into the water. 

 We were horror-stricken ! Any idea of rendering assistance was 

 out of the question, for boat after boat came swishing into the 

 current quite unstably, and each one had quite enough to do in 

 endeavouring to avoid the fate of the luckless craft. It was 

 lying, bottom upwards, jammed in between the rocks, and one 

 boy who emerged from the flood succeeded in grasping its sides 

 and clambering on to the keel. A hand rose up from the water 

 close by — it was that of the non-commissioned officer. The boy, 

 reaching out, grasped it, and on the head following, the brave 

 boy, with a great effort, managed to pull his master up into 

 a place of security. The pressure of the .water, however, had 

 loosened the canoe and it went floating down the stream with 

 both of them hanging on to it. One by one the rest of the 

 unfortunates appeared on the surface, some being borne away 

 by the current, others, who had already passed the rocks, making 

 for the banks, whilst some succeeded in saving themselves by 

 clinging on to great stones, where, dripping with water, they 

 awaited their release. 



The work of rescue was not an easy one, as the canoes 

 were constantly driven away by the current. At length, how- 



