But he made one more mighty effort and half arose in the water to see what sort of a place he had entered.
He noticed that the stream had widened considerably, and that there were no more signs of any fire.
A few seconds later he heard a dull, roaring sound, which caused him to turn a shade paler.
A rapids was close at hand!
Of this Leo felt certain. He had often before heard the noise made by the falling of a large body of water.
Although the stream was quite wide at this point it was running like a mill race.
Nearer and nearer the sound of the roaring waters came to the helpless boy, and his last hopes sunk.
What chance of life had he in being washed over a falls, at the bottom of which, in all probability, was an endless amount of sharp, jagged rocks, as is invariably the case?
Folding his arms, Leo threw himself upon his back, and allowed himself to float along at the mercy of the powerful current.
The roaring sound now became deafening, and he felt that the end was near.