"I shall never do it," he groaned. "Oh, my poor children!" and in imagination he saw them swept out to sea.
But as he thought, he made a snatch at the boat's side, the effect of which was to throw both children into the bottom, where the water washed to and fro, while the men lost their footing, but not the desperate grip of their hands.
There was a terrible struggle in the broken water, but the party, boat and all, were borne close in, and more help coming from the stamp-mill, in another minute all were safe, though drenched and breathless, while the torrent for the next hour literally raged between the little river's stony banks, which it was washing clear of flower and fern and bearing all out to sea.
"Our poor boat, Syd!" said Lin, a couple of hours later, when the water was sinking back.
"Yes," said the boy, with a sigh. "She's swept right away."
He was quite right, but the next morning a fisherman brought her back, while the little river was once more flowing soft and clear.
["Jean-Pierre"]
THE STORY OF THE ST. BERNARD
IT was their first winter in England, and the Buckland children were staring out of the window at the snowflakes that tumbled over each other in their hurry to reach the ground.
"They're like tiny white sails," cried Oswald.