90 WHIP AND SPUR. 



checked. I never knew him more gay and de- 

 lightful ; and, as we stood leaning on our sad- 

 dles and chatting together, I congratulated myself 

 upon the possession of such a perpetual sunbeam. 

 We were barely half-way across, when, sud- 

 denly, coming out of the darkness, riding half 

 hidden in the boiling, whirling tide, a huge float- 

 ing tree struck the boat with a thud that parted 

 the rotten guy-rope, and carried us floating down 

 the stream. For a moment there seemed no dan- 

 ger, but a branch of the tree had caught the 

 corner of the boat, and the pulleys had become 

 entangled in the rope. When this had been 

 drawn to its full length, and the tree felt the 

 strain, the boat dipped to the current, filled, and 

 sank under our feet. I called to Wettstein to 

 take Klitschka by the tail, but it was too late ; 

 he had grasped the saddle with the desperation 

 of a drowning man, and made her fairly help- 

 less. The boat soon passed from under us, and, 

 relieved of our weight, came to the surface at 

 our side; but, bringing the rope against poor 

 Wettstein's wounded arm, it tore loose his hold, 





