The bravest soldier, no matter how cool his bearing, feels a sense of awe and dread when the rattle of rifles along the skirmish line tells him that the murderous battle has begun.

If there be men who never felt fear under such nerve-trying circumstances, then they certainly deserve no credit, for true courage consists in the determination to face a danger while fully comprehending its awful possibilities.

Sam Willett wisely decided not to picture to Ike and Wah Shin the dangers that lay before them; but while doing this he did not attempt to hide from himself the fact that within a few hours himself and his faithful companions might be the dead playthings of the wild waters.

As calmly and sternly as the cavalry leader wheels his battalions into line in front of the murderous artillery which he intends to charge, Sam Willett made his preparations for the passage of the rapids.

He strengthened the raft and fastened to it their arms and blankets, and then to prevent their being washed off, or lost if they fell overboard, he insisted that each should tie a rope about his waist, the other end being fastened to the logs.

It was not until the last precautions against the danger that lay ahead were proposed that Ike began to feel greatly alarmed.

"Golly, Mistah Sam," he said, with trembling lips, "hitchin ob oursels to dese yar logs wif ropes looks to me kinder skittish."

"I hope they may not be needed," said Sam, as he made ready to push the raft off.

"You seed dem currents down de ribber?"

"I did."

"Pooty ugly, ain't dey?"

"We must pass them."

"'Twas dem as drownded Ulna?"

"He fell from a rock into the river."

"Den if he couldn't swim back, dem currents must be mighty bad."

"No can stay hele; no can backee go; den wat we do; allee same we mustee glong down ribbel," said Wah Shin, who seemed to have no trouble in taking in the situation.

"Wa'al," said Ike, desperately, "I reckon de job's got to be did. I don't want to be drowned way down har, when no one won't neber heah ob me agin, an' moah 'ticklah, Mistah Sam, I doesn't want you to die, but if dat be de good Lor's will, den I says amen, an' goes ahead."

Sam at first thought that he would tie Maj to the raft, but as the animal had not the reason to avail himself of this advantage, he decided to let him take his chances if he should be washed off.

"Now, I am about to push off," said Sam, standing at the stern with the pole in his hand, "and if we get into danger I want you both to keep cool and do as I say. Don't yell out, or try to hang on to each other, if the raft should go to pieces."

Ike and Wah Shin promised to do as they were told, and then with a mental prayer to Heaven to guide and protect him, Sam set one end of the pole against the bank and pushed the raft into the current.

"Dis don't seem so powahful bad," said Ike, as he looked ahead and saw a smooth expanse extending for nearly a half mile in front.

"Not so bad, Ike," said Sam, his eyes fixed on the bend, beyond which he knew the dreaded rapids rolled.

As they drifted on he could not help recalling the mighty falls of Niagara which he had visited with his father a few years before.

He remembered that a few miles above the falls the majestic river flowed on grandly and swiftly, without a ripple to break its glassy surface, or a murmur to suggest the frightful plunge it was soon to take. Then came the roaring rapids and the thundering fall.

What if these rapids ended in the same way?

This thought had just flashed through his mind, when the raft shot past the rock from which Ulna had fallen, and the next instant it swung round the bend, and the thunder of the waters was heard and the seething white waves came to view.

Every stick of timber in the raft groaned, as if it were a sentient being, trembling at its coming destruction.

Ike and Wah Shin fell flat on the logs and clung to them with all their might, not daring to look at the prospect ahead.

Even Sam dropped on his knees and gazed steadily in front, while the dog crept towards him, and, with a plaintive whine, thrust his nose into his master's breast.

Sam soon discovered that it would not only be useless, but absolutely dangerous to attempt to steer the raft, so he hauled in the pole and with his hands clung to the logs on either side.

The speed at which they went down soon became so frightfully great that the objects along the shore could not be distinguished, but became streaked and confused to their sight.

Now and again the raft would strike against one of the black rocks, that rose like a monster out of the water, and then it would spin and whirl down the torrent as if determined to throw off its occupants.

Bend after bend was passed, and Sam began to think that the rapids extended indefinitely, when to his horror the raft struck against another rock, and with such force that the ropes, fastening one end, snapped and broke like a silken thread in the hands of a giant.

At the same instant the logs parted and spread out like a fan, throwing all the occupants into the water.

Now the wisdom of Sam's precaution in tying themselves to the raft became evident.

Had it not been for this they would have been swept apart and drowned at once, but as it was the ropes not only kept them together, but enabled them to haul themselves back to the logs and cling to them for support.

The dog was, of course, thrown out with the others, and was at once swept beyond reach, though for some minutes Sam could see the brave creature facing the current and making a desperate effort to swim back.

Sam was just beginning to feel that the raft must soon go to pieces, when they were suddenly swept around a bend and into a calm expanse of water, though a few hundred yards further on he saw the line of white foam that indicated other rapids ahead.

Calling to his companions to assist him, and putting forth a superhuman effort himself, Sam succeeded in getting the raft out of the current and into a little cove where there was shallow water and a ledge of smooth, shelving rocks that made a good landing place.

They straightened out the logs, made them fast again, and then they took off the arms and frayed blankets that had not been swept from the raft by the rocks and rapids.

This done the three clambered up to a dry place, though they were so wet that it would not have made any difference if they stood in the water.

Thinking that Ulna might have made a landing at some point along the shore of this calm expanse, Sam looked up and down both banks, but excepting Ike, Wah Shin and himself there was not a living creature in sight, even the dog had been unable to resist the force of the current.

"Dis am a mighty bad fix, sure enuff," were Ike's first words as he surveyed his dripping form and then began slowly to take in the situation.

"It might be worse," was Sam's comment, though if he had been called on to explain how it well could be worse, he would have been at a loss to tell.

"Watel we do nex," asked Wah Shin, and he half-raised his hands and let them fall again to indicate his utter helplessness.

Sam could not reply. He would have felt a great sense of relief if either of the others had made a reasonable suggestion.

It was growing dark, and he knew that it would be madness to attempt the river again till the light of another full day lay before them.

In answer to Wah Shin's question, Ike said:

"I'll tell yeh w'at I'd like to do, Wah."

"I can tellee mesel lat too," said Wah Shin.

"In de fust place I'd like some nice dry clothes."

"I too," said Wah.

"Den I wouldn't mind bein' in a nice house."

"Ugh," and Wah shrugged himself as if he thought that a very lovely idea.

"Den," continued Ike, as he smacked his lips, "I'd like to be a settin' down to a table in dat house."

"Ha!" cried Wah.

"An'—an' I'd like to hab dat table filled way up wid good tings, an' me a settin' dar free to pile in all I wanted——"

"Dat am belly nice," said Wah.

"Den arter I'd eat, an' eat an' eat, till I couldn't more'n stan', I'd have some one pick me up and tote me off to de wahmest, softest bed——"

At this point Sam interrupted by saying:

"We must all take off our clothes and wring them out, for I am not going to try it again till morning."