The river there ran on till it seemed terminated by a wall of rocks, at the foot of which a steam saw-mill was clattering and howling. On each side of the water arose perpendicular cliffs, and between these was the suspension bridge, whose frail pathway was sustained by cables that passed over granite towers at the edge of the precipice; and overhung a tremendous gulf of treacherous waters. Suddenly Phil put his hand on Pat’s shoulder. Pat turned, and saw him looking anxiously out over the water and pointing. “What’s the matter?” asked Pat. “I wonder what makes it so white over there,” said Phil, in an anxious tone. He was pointing to the water between the island and the promontory. Here the surface was agitated, and foam was emerging and floating on in ever-increasing masses, while a deep, dull roar began to be slowly perceptible to their ears. “What is it?” repeated Pat, after looking for a little while in silence at the place where Phil had pointed. “What is it?” he repeated, after a little hesitation. Then his hesitation vanished, and in his usual confident way, he proceeded to account for the foam. “Sure an it’s the foam,” said he, “an that’s what it is.” “But there wasn’t any foam a little while ago,” said Phil. “Deed, thin, an I wor jist thinkin that same,” said Pat, in a candid tone. The boys stood now for a little while in silence. The low, dull roar increased as they listened, and excited very singular feelings in the minds of both. “The tide is certainly stronger,” said Phil--“a good deal stronger. I wonder if--if--it’s too strong for us.” “Niver a bit,” said Pat, shaking off his uneasiness. “Sure an we’ll have no throuble. We’re jist a good bit above the Falls--so we are--an there’s no danger--not the laist in life.” Again they stopped, and looked, and listened. And now the foam had increased, the dull roar was perceptibly louder, and its deep cadence reverberated in their inmost hearts, exciting dark apprehensions. “Deed an I’ll jist tell ye what it is,” cried Pat, suddenly. “It’s no use standin here all day; we must hurry out of this.” “But can we now?” asked Phil, uneasily. “Sure an why not?” “The tide--it’s so strong.” “Sure an that’s nothin,” said Pat. “All we’ve got to do is to head the boat up strame, half up an half across, an we’ll slide over that way in spite of the tide, so we will.”