He held the end of the rope, but had been carried several yards down-stream, and the lost ground must be regained.  The rope was rather a hindrance than a help, since the men on the bank could only haul him back to the skip and drag him under water, while he must pull the slack through the loop as he struggled to land.  If he got out of the eddies he would be swept past the island, but he did not mean to let the rope go yet.

A revolving eddy swung him in-shore, but the reflux caught and drove him a few yards lower down.  The men were shouting, but he could not tell what they said.  The roar of water bewildered him, and he fixed his eyes upon the rocks that slid past until a wave washed across his face.  For a moment or two he saw nothing, and then was vaguely conscious that a trolley was running down the wire above.  An indistinct object hung from the trolley and next moment fell away from it.  A dark body splashed into the water, vanished, and came up close by.  Then he was seized by the shoulder and driven towards the bank.

The men had stopped shouting and ran into the water at the island’s lower end.  Festing drifted towards them, but it looked as if he would be carried past.  The drag of the rope kept him back, and his strength was going, but he braced himself for an effort and felt a helping push.  Then somebody seized his hand, he was pulled forward, and felt bottom as he dropped his feet.  In another few moments he staggered up the bank and gave the nearest man the end of the rope.

“Stick to that,” he gasped, and turned to see who had helped him.

“Bob!” he exclaimed.

Charnock dashed the water from his hair and face.  “Thought you mightn’t make it and jumped on a trolley they were loosing off.  But we had better change our clothes.”

“Come to my shack,” said Festing.  “Signal them to send a trolley, boys.”

CHAPTER XXI

CHARNOCK TRIES HIS STRENGTH

The skip that crossed the river was loaded, and Charnock and Festing were forced to wait until it came back.  They climbed to a platform on the bridge-pier and stood for some minutes, shivering in the wind.  The skip would only carry one, and when it arrived Charnock made Festing get in.

“You were in the water longest,” he said.  “Get aboard as quick as you can!”

Festing was swung across the river, but waited until Charnock arrived, when they ran up the hill to the former’s shack.  The fire was out and Festing’s face was blue, while Charnock’s teeth chattered as he threw off his clothes.  Festing gave him another suit.

“I’m afraid they’re not very dry, but they’re the best I’ve got,” he said.  “You did a plucky thing, Bob.”

“Not at all, and you would, no doubt, have landed if I hadn’t come.  You see, the skip was starting and I didn’t stop to think.  But it’s horribly cold.  Where’s your towel?”