LIFE OR DEATH 161 



perilously near being drawn by her off the 

 boom. 



No assistance could be obtained by shout- 

 ing, as the roar of the Falls drowned all other 

 sounds, nor could I send her sister, who was 

 so terrified I feared she would fall off herself, 

 so I bade her sit down on the boom, where she 

 was standing. By this time my thoughts, 

 which had fled for the moment, returned, and 

 the situation was taken in and acted upon. 

 The necessity of drawing her body out from 

 under the boom was so apparent that I acted 

 upon it at once, by drawing her head towards 

 the end of it and the shore. At the same 

 time, I encouraged Mrs. C. to help me with 

 her hands on the boom. By this concerted 

 action we soon freed her body, so that her 

 head could be raised under the plank, and 

 farther out of water. Thus emboldened by 

 our success, I decided her head and body had 

 to be passed under that plank before she could 

 be got out, as the suction was too great to be 

 overcome without more help. By my holding 

 on with my right hand, assisted by Mrs. C. 

 clinging to the upper edge of the plank, I 

 was enabled to lie down on it, and pass my 



M 



