As he leapt the cart filled and sank.
"Lie still, for Heaven's sake!" he shouted, when they rose to the surface.
In the dim light of the dawn which was now creeping over the earth he could discover the line of the left bank of the Vaal, the same from which they had been driven into the river on the previous night.

It appeared to be about forty yards away, but the current was running quite six knots, and he saw that, burdened as he was, it would be quite impracticable for him to reach it.

The only thing to do was to keep afloat.

Luckily the water was warm and he was a strong swimmer.

In a minute or so he saw that about fifty paces ahead some rocks jutted out twenty yards into the bed of the stream.