abandoned my canoe, jumping overboard."

"That's just what I was wondering about," declared Waldo, with a
vigorous nod of his head. "Yet we found you--there?"

"Because I am a wretchedly poor swimmer. I managed to reach a
drift which had not yet fairly entered the whirl, but I could do
nothing more towards saving myself. Then--you can guess the
rest, gentlemen."

"And the canoe?" demanded Waldo, content only when all points
were made manifest.

"I saw it dragged down the centre of the suck," with an
involuntary shiver. "The fish must have plunged into the
underground river, whether willingly or not I can only surmise.
But all the while I was drifting yonder, around and around, with
each circuit drawing closer to the awful end, I could not help
picturing to myself how the canoe must have plunged down, and
down, and--burr-r-r!"

A shuddering shiver which was more eloquent than words; but Waldo
was not yet wholly content, finding an absorbing interest in that
particular subject.

"You call it a river: how do you know it's a river?"

"Of course, I can only guess at the facts, my dear boy," the
stranger made reply, smiling once more, and, with an almost timid
gesture, extending one hairy paw to lightly touch and gently