"There is no help for it—we've got to jump right in and trust to luck to reach the other side," said Jack.
"Let us take hold of hands. Maybe we can brace ourselves better," suggested Randy.
This plan was carried out, and a moment later found the four cadets in water up to their knees. So swift was the current they had all they could do to keep their feet, and Andy would have gone down had not his brother and Fred held him up.
It was lucky for the lads that they had chosen a spot where the stream was rather broad and shallow, widening out on the side opposite to the rocky bluff. Nevertheless, at one point they found themselves in water up to their waists, and here they had to struggle with might and main to keep from being swept down to where the man and the boy were held prisoners.
"Say, this is awful!" gasped Fred, when he at last found himself on a safer footing.
"This river is running like a mill-race," was Randy's comment.
When they had reached a spot where the water was less than a foot deep they stopped once more to regain their breath, and then, led by Jack, moved cautiously down the river to the point where was located the drifting tree the man had mentioned.
"Just see if you can't pull it toward the shore," directed the man. "But be careful that you don't get hit when it swings around."
It was now that the young cadets' lessons in bridge building while in camp came into good play. Jack gave orders as to just how the swinging around of the tree might be managed. Then all took hold and pulled with might and main.
"I don't see that it has budged any," gasped Fred, after half a minute of the hardest kind of effort.