15 



ward the place whence it came ; his foot slipped, and the 

 next instant he was flat on his back in the swift stream, 

 where it shot most furiously over the glassy rock. He 

 struggled manfully, but in vain. The smooth, slippery sur- 

 face afforded no purchase to his griping fingers, no hold to 

 his laboring feet. One fearftil, one agonizing conflict with 

 the wild waters, as hs was sweept helplessly over the edge 

 of the fall, his head, as he glanced down foot foremost 

 striking the rocky brink with fearful violence. 



" He was plunged into the deep pool, and whirled round, 

 and round by the dark eddies long before he rose, but still, 

 though stunned and half-disabled, he strove terribly to sup- 

 port himself, but it was all in vain. 



" Again, he sunk and rose once more, and as he rose that 

 wild shriek again reached his ears, and his last glance fell 

 upon a female form wringing her hands in despair on the 

 bank, and a young man rushing down in wild haste from 

 the cottage on the hill. 



" He felt that aid was at hand, and struck out again for 

 life — for dear life ! 



" But the water seemed to fail beneath him. 



" A slight flash sprang across his eyes, his brain reeled, 

 and all was blackness. 



" He sunk to the bottom, spurned it with his feet, and 

 rose once more, but not to the surface. 



" His quivering blue hands emerged alone above the re- 

 lentless waters, grasped for a little moment at empty space, 

 and then disappeared. 



" The circling ripples closed over him, and subsided into 

 stillness. 



" He felt, knew, suflfered nothing more. 



