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? ? ? ? About ninety or a hundred feet from the top, the remains of my vest caught on a projecting rock, and I was almost drowned before I could get loose. I finally fell, and brought up in a world of white foam at the foot of the Fall, whose celled and bubbly masses towered up several inches above my head. Of course I got into the eddy. I sailed round and round in it forty-four times -- chasing a chip and gaining on it -- each round trip a half mile -- reach ing for the same bush on the bank forty-four times, and just exactly missing it by a hair's-breadth every time.
? ? ? ? At last a man walked down and sat down close to that bush, and put a pipe in his mouth, and lit a match, and followed me with one eye and kept the other on the match, while he sheltered it in his hands from the wind. Presently a puff of wind blew it out. The next time I swept around he said:
? ? ? ? "Got a match?"
? ? ? ? "Yes; in my other vest. Help me out, please."
? ? ? ? "Not for Joe."
? ? ? ? When I came round again, I said:
? ? ? ? "Excuse the seemingly impertinent curiosity of a drowning man, but will you explain this singular conduct of yours?"
? ? ? ? "With pleasure.
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