88 WHIP AND SPUR. 



reliance under all circumstances, and he and I 

 knew each other perfectly. We were at home in 

 every foot-path in the country, having had many 

 a summer's swim in this very river ; and now, 

 accompanied only by Wettstein and Klitschka, 

 I went on to the ferry-boat. It was what is 

 known as a " swing " ferry. A stout rope is 

 stretched between trees on the opposite shores, 

 and the boat is attached to a couple of pulleys 

 arranged to traverse the length of this rope. 

 The attaching cords — one at each end of the 

 up-stream side of the boat — are long enough to 

 allow it to swing some rods down the stream; 

 by shortening one of the ropes and lengthening 

 the other, the boat is placed at an angle with 

 the swift current, which propels it toward one 

 shore or the other, the pulleys keeping pace in 

 their course on the main rope. 



The main rope was rough from long use, and 

 often the pulleys would halt in their course, 

 until the pull of the advancing boat dragged them 

 free. Then the rickety craft, shivering from end 

 to end, would make a rapid shoot, until another 



