She would have flung herself from the boat, as she gazed wildly in quite a different direction; and the doctor, dropping the oar across the sides, sent the frail vessel back from him, rocking heavily; for he had plunged from it headlong into the rushing water, but only to rise directly; and they saw him swimming rapidly towards where something creamy-looking was being slowly carried by the current back towards the piles. The doctor was a powerful swimmer, but he was weary from his exertions. He swam on, though, rapidly nearing the object of his search, caught it by the flannel shirt, made a tremendous effort to get beyond the back-set of the current, and then turned a ghastly face upward to the air. The gig was fifty yards away now, Prayle being helpless to stay its course; and though the doctor looked round, there was neither soul nor boat in sight to give them help. It was a hard fight; but the swimmer won; for some thirty or forty strokes, given with all his might, brought him into the shallow stream, and then the rest was easy; he had but to keep his friend's face above the water while he tried to overtake the boat. For a moment he thought of landing; but no help was near without carrying his inanimate burden perhaps a mile, the lock being on the other side, its keeper probably asleep, for he made no sign. "Cannot that idiot stop the boat?" groaned Scales. "At last--at last!" He uttered these words with a cry of satisfaction, for Prayle was making some pretence of forcing the boat up-stream once more. The doctor was skilful enough to direct his course so that they were swept down to the bows; and grasping the gunwale with one hand, he panted forth: "Down with that boat-hook! Now, take him by the shoulders. Lean back to the other side and draw him in." The swimmer could lend but little help; and Prayle would have failed in his effort, and probably overturned the boat, but for Aunt Sophia, whose dread of the water seemed to have passed away as she came forward, and between them they dragged Scarlett over the side. The doctor followed, with the water streaming from him, and gave a glance to right and left in search of a place to land. "It would be no use," he said quickly. "While we were getting him to some house, valuable minutes would be gone.--Now, Lady Scarlett, for heaven's sake, be calm!" "Oh, he is dead--he is dead!" moaned the wretched woman, on her knees. "That's more than you know, or I know," cried the doctor, who was working busily all the time. "Be calm, and help me.--You too, Miss Raleigh.--Prayle, get out of the way!"