heard a splash and a stroke of his long arms, and then all was
still. I knew he was swimming under water to get away. The
officers made for their boat. My blood was up, and I sprang at the
last of them, giving him a hard shove as he was climbing over, so
that he fell on the boat, upsetting it. They had business enough
then for a little, and began hailing for help. I knew I had done a
foolish thing, and ran forward, climbing out upon the bowsprit, and
off with my coat and vest, and dived into the dark water. I swam
under as long as I could hold my breath, and then came up quietly,
turning on my back in the quick current, and floating so my face
only was above water. It had grown dark, and I could see nothing
but the glimmer of the stars above me. My boots were heavy and
dragged hard. I was going fast with the swift water, for at first
I had heard a great hubbub on the schooner; but now its voices had
grown faint. Other sounds were filling my ear.

After dark it is weird business to be swimming in strange
water--the throne of mystery, of a thousand terrors. It is as if
one's grave, full of the blackness of the undiscovered country,
were pursuing him and ever yawning beneath his body. And that big
river is the very tiger of waters, now stealing on pussy-footed,
now rushing with cat-like swiftness, hissing and striking with
currents that have in them mighty sinews. I was now companion of
those cold-mouthed monsters of the river bottom, many of which I
had seen. What if one should lay hold on me and drag me under?
Then I thought of rapids that might smother me with their spray or
dash me to hidden rocks. Often I lifted my ears, marvelling at the
many voices of the river. Sometimes I thought I heard a roaring
like that of the Sault, but it was only a ripple growing into
fleecy waves that rocked me as in a cradle. The many sounds were