"Must I be drowned like a rat in a trap!" was the agonizing thought which rushed through his brain, and then he pushed along from one timber to another until the last was reached and he came up, almost overcome and panting heavily for breath.
"Help! help!" he cried feebly, and presently heard his brothers answer him. Then the lifeline was thrown, but it fell short and did him no good. By the red fire and the rockets he saw the position of the Swallow, and saw his brothers, but was too weak to even signal to Sam and Tom.
It was with an effort that he at last drew himself to the top of some of the lumber. This movement came none too soon, for a moment later one of the outside chains of the raft broke, and fully a third of what was left of the lumber was scattered in all directions.
"Hullo, Bragin! is that you?"
The cry came from out of the darkness and from the other end of the top lumber.
"Are you calling to me?" replied Dick, in as loud a voice as he could muster.
"Is that you, Bragin?" repeated the voice.
"I am not Bragin," answered Dick. "Where are you?"
"Here." And the unknown repeated the cry until Dick located and joined him. He was a burly lumberman of forty, with a heavy black beard and an equally heavy voice. He gazed at the youth in astonishment.
"Hullo! Where did you come from?" he demanded.