ning to fear that his efforts would prove unsuccessful, when a heavy flop in the direction of his flies announced that the curiosity of one of the inmates was aroused.

Up to this time perfect silence had been preserved; but this incident worked up the excitement of Tom, on the rock, and Johnny Cape, stretched full length along the bough watching him. A few seconds later, when a sudden splash, a rush, and the noise of the line rattling off the reel, proclaimed that Tom had hooked his fish.

Johnny Cape could contain himself no longer, for he, from his place of vantage, had seen better than Tom the size of the fish that was hooked.

"Reel him up, Master Tom, reel him up! You'll lose him if he gets into the swirl," he exclaimed; while Tom, with every inch of line out, and his rod bent double, was powerless to do aught but wait.

"I shall never get him up against this current; he as strong and heavy as a bull," cried Tom. "Go down the stream, Johnny, with the landing-net, and look out for a chance.”

But at this moment a diversion occurred, which considerably favoured the fish's chances of escape. Lord Raymond was walking in the Castle grounds, accompanied by his only daughter, the Lady Sybil Challenger, when the excited cries from the river reached him, and he hastened to discover the cause. As the boundaries of Lord Raymond's estate had become more circumscribed, so had his belief in the rights of property increased, and when he saw, as he thought, a man poaching under the very Castle walls, he considered it a case of bearding the lion in his den, and was proportionately angry and indignant.

In point of fact, Tom was not poaching, for the land on the opposite bank belonged to his father; and the boundary was an imaginary line drawn in the centre of the river. It is possible that even Tom might not have had sufficient impudence to poach on

Lord Raymond's land, knowing the strained relations. which existed between him and Mr. Marston; but feeling secure of his rights he paid little attention to the calls he but faintly heard.

"Hi, fellow! what are you doing there?" Lord Raymond hailed four or five times; but Tom was busy with his fish, and paid no heed.

Lord Raymond was cogitating whether he would be justified in throwing a large stone he was poising in his hand at Tom, and dislodging him from the rock, when there was a cry of distress, immediately followed by some crackling of underwood, and then a heavy splash in the water.

Lady Sybil, in watching Tom, had missed her footing, and tumbled headlong into the most dangerous part of the river.

Her father was for the moment paralysed with horror. From where he was standing he was quite unable to render any assistance, in fact, he could not even see that part of the river where his daughter had fallen. He gazed vacantly at Tom, expecting him to do something, but was unable to articulate a syllable.

Sybil's cry, when she first felt herself slipping down the bank, had aroused Tom, and he watched the catastrophe from the start. As the girl reached. the water he threw aside his rod, and the moment Sybil arose to the surface after her first submersion, he plunged from the rock, and in one or two vigorous strokes reached her. He turned her on her back, and putting one arm around her waist, supported her body while he swam beside her, and piloted as well as he could. She was too frightened to attempt any action herself, and so was the easier to hold up.

In the meantime, Johnny Cape, with the readiness of resource which he had learnt in the pursuit of his father's craft, ran along the bank at the top of his speed, and crossing a small wooden bridge which spanned the river some two hundred yards below, he

continued along the opposite shore until he came to a creek, where a small tributary joined the larger river, and this, amidst its other contributions, had deposited a good deal of soil at its mouth, which had silted up into a shoal, and had diverged the deep channel towards the opposite bank. Wading out until the water was up to his waist, Johnny waited for Tom's approach. He was not kept long in suspense. Tom was floating down the stream at the speed of about six miles an hour; but his rate was not a continuous one. More than once he had been sucked into one of the eddies, and at such times the recollection of all the stories he had heard of the whirlpools came back to him, and he struck out with increased vigour. Once he and Sybil were rolled over and completely submerged; and for a second or so he had let go his hold, but though feeling anxious, he was not disheartened.

The struggle, however, was beginning to tell on him. He knew of the shoal where Johnny Cape was standing, and had made up his mind to try and effect a landing there, feeling certain that his strength would not hold out much longer.

As he drew near the place, and felt himself drawn by the irresistible current towards the opposite shore, he redoubled his efforts and strove with all his might and main. He saw Johnny Cape standing in the stream only a few yards distant; but, despite his exertions, slowly and surely the flood bore him down. the river, and he began to lose hope. Then he heard Johnny's voice in encouraging accents, "Look out, Master Tom," and, at the same time, the landing-net, with the line made fast to it, whizzed through the air a few inches above his head, and Tom caught the line. Slowly Johnny hauled him towards the shore, not keeping too great a strain upon the line, but giving and taking, as Tom had been doing a short time before with the trout.

There was a good deal of anxiety for a few

minutes, then Tom and his burden slowly emerged from the centre channel, and all danger was past.

Directly he was in his depth, Tom put his feet to the ground, and, taking the unconscious form of Sybil Challenger in his arms, he staggered towards the shore.

Lord Raymond was on the bank in readiness to receive him; his face was pale and his lips quivered with emotion, for he was more attached to his only child than he had hitherto realised.

As Tom landed he advanced, and, putting his hand on his shoulder, he said: "You are a splendid young fellow, and I never saw a pluckier thing done. Come up to the Castle."

Then he took his daughter out of Tom's arms, and led the way up the path leading to The Beacon.

Tom hesitated a moment; he felt dizzy and faint; then, with rather an unsteady gait, he slowly followed Lord Raymond, while Johnny Cape brought up the

rear.

As they entered the hall Lord Raymond said: "Wait a minute here, I will soon be back," and he carried Sybil, who was showing signs of returning consciousness, upstairs.

Tom was beat; he made an effort to shake off the giddy feeling which assailed him, but was unable to do so, and, sinking into a chair, he leaned back quite exhausted.

Lord Raymond soon reappeared, and, seeing Tom's state of prostration, he procured him a glass of brandy and water, which he held to his lips, then, turning to Cape, he asked: "Who is this young gentleman?"

"Young Master Tom Marston, my lord."
"The devil he is. And who are you?"

"I am Johnny Cape, the gamekeeper's son, my lord."

"Well, Johnny Cape, assist upstairs and put him to bed. you the room."

Master Tom Marston
The butler will show

But the brandy had already revived Tom, who began to expostulate.

"I think I must go home my lord," he said.

"Oh, nonsense," replied Lord Raymond, "you are not in a fit state to go home yet; besides, if you are well enough I hope you will dine with me."

His manner was a mixture of good nature and friendliness which took Tom's heart by storm, and, as at that moment the butler arrived on the scene, and Lord Raymond told him to "show this gentleman into a bedroom," Tom remonstrated no further, but, assisted by Johnny, slowly walked upstairs.

By the time he had taken off his wet clothes he felt completely recovered. Feeling he was committed to remain at The Beacon he scribbled a short note to Vita, which said:

"DEAR VIC,

"I have had a ducking in the river, and am now in bed at The Beacon, waiting until my clothes are dried. I shall stop here for dinner, and I want you to send all my best things by Johnny. Tell Mary not to forget anything, as I have to be very swell.

"You can tell the governor that I did not want to remain here, but that Lord Raymond insisted upon it.

"Yours affectionately,

"TOM."

This was despatched by Johnny, which done, and feeling there was no help for it, Tom got into bed. He had scarcely composed himself when there was a knock at the door, and Lord Raymond entered. "Well, my boy," he said, approaching the bed, "have you everything you want? Be sure to ask for it if you haven't."

Please, sir, how's the little girl?" asked Tom, rather uncertain how to address his lordship.

"Sybil? Oh, she is all right. She had a great fright