“What were they like?” cried Abel.
“Roughs; shacks; loafers. One of them had a big red beard.”
Dallas started, and glanced at Abel.
“A brute!” cried the stranger fiercely. “I asked them to give me a lift, as I was going to starve here if they didn’t, and I warned them that I had heard it wanted a strong party to take a craft through the rapids. ‘All right, stranger,’ he said, pushing the craft a little nearer. ‘Mind lending me your knife to trim this rough pole with? I’ve lost mine.’”
It was Abel now who glanced at Dallas.
“‘Catch,’ I said, pitching mine, in its sheath.”
“Well?” said the Cornishman, fumbling in his belt.
“Well,” continued the man, with a sombre look in his eyes, “he caught it, and began to smooth his pole, letting the raft drift away; and though I begged and prayed of them to stop for me, they only laughed, and let her get right into the current. It was life or death to me, as I thought then,” continued the stranger, “and I climbed along that shelf and followed, shouting and telling them I was starving, and begging them to throw me my knife back if they wouldn’t take me aboard; but they only laughed, and told me to go and hang myself. But I followed on as fast as I could, right along to the opening yonder where it’s so narrow that I could speak to them close to; and though I knew they couldn’t stop the raft there, I thought they’d throw me my knife.”
“And did they?” said the Cornishman.
“No. I was there just before them, and I shouted; but you can’t hear yourself speak there, the roar echoes so from the rocks. The next minute they’d been swept by me so near I could almost have jumped on board; and there I stood, holding on and reaching out so that I could see them tear down through the rushing water. They’d took fright, dropped their poles, and were down on their knees holding on, with the raft twisting slowly round.”