258 THE RIVER OF DOUBT [chap, viii 



man, or pilot, as he is called in Brazil, and Simplicio, the 

 howsman. Both were negroes and exceptionally good 

 men in every way. Kermit halted his canoe on the left 

 bank, above the rapids, and waited for the Colonel's 

 canoe. Then the Colonel and Lyra walked down the 

 bank to see what was ahead. Kermit took his canoe 

 across to the island to see whether the descent could 

 be better accomplished on the other side. Having 

 made his investigation, he ordered the men to return 

 to the bank he had left, and the dugout was headed 

 up-stream accordingly. Before they had gone a dozen 

 yards, the paddlers digging their paddles with all their 

 strength into the swift current, one of the shifting 

 whirlpools of which I have spoken came down-stream, 

 whirled them around, and swept them so close to the 

 rapids that no human power could avoid going over 

 them. As they were drifting into them broadside on, 

 Kermit yelled to the steersman to turn her head, so as 

 to take them in the only way that offered any chance 

 whatever of safety. The water came aboard, wave after 

 wave, as they raced down. They reached the bottom 

 with the canoe upright, but so full as barely to float, 

 and the paddlers urged her toward the shore. They 

 had nearly reached the bank when another whii'pool or 

 whirling eddy tore them away and hurried them back 

 to mid-stream, where the dugout filled and turned over. 

 Joao, seizing the rope, started to swim ashore ; the rope 

 was pulled from his hand, but he reached the bank. 

 Poor Simphcio must have been pulled under at once, 

 and his life beaten out on the boulders beneath the 

 racing torrent. He never rose again, nor did we ever 

 recover his body. Kermit clutched his rifle, his favourite 

 405 Winchester with which he had done most of his 

 hunting both in Africa and America, and climbed on 



