Rather than stay there all night they made a raft of two little dead cedars and tying their shoes upon it, they waited for the moon to rise.

This was very soon and they slipped into the current relying on the raft merely to keep their heads above water.

They knew there were no rapids between them and camp but they did not properly estimate the velocity of the river and the eddies and whirlpools.

They kept near the left wall so as not to be carried past camp and in this they made a great mistake for they were caught in a whirlpool caused by a projection, and the raft was wrenched from them while they were violently thrown around.

Steward being a powerful swimmer succeeded after nearly going under for good in regaining the raft which Clem meanwhile had been losing and recovering quickly several times.