other shore. We've had trouble enough getting as far as this.
Besides, Anton, even if we did get over, we wouldn't know where to look
for your people. There's a chance that Levin may have heard from them,
and if he hasn't, he might send some one with a message. We couldn't do
much searching, anyway."

In truth, the boys were utterly exhausted. The only member of the party
who seemed in high spirits was Rex. He frisked about and jumped on the
two boys, his tail sticking straight up in the air, as though he were
convinced that it was solely through his exertions that Lassie and the
puppies had been rescued.

Ross slung the basket, with its living freight, across his shoulders and
started off. Lassie watched this elevation of her children with manifest
uneasiness, but as her master seemed satisfied, there was nothing for
her to do but to follow behind, which she did with her nose as close to
the basket as possible.

Nerve-frazzled and tired out, Anton pegged away behind. The heavy
downpour of rain, which had not ceased for a day and a night, and which
had followed upon the heavy rains of the week before, had made the
ground as soft as a bog. The crippled lad's crutch sank in so deeply at
every step that it was only with great pain that he could keep up at
all. Still, he struggled along bravely.

Ross, turning to see how his chum was faring, caught the boy's tense and
haggard look, and understood.

"Look here, Anton," he said, at once, "we'll never get anywhere this
way. You get into the boat and I'll tow you."

"But you can't, you're just about all in," protested the younger boy.
"You can't tow the boat with me in it, all the way."

"Got to!" declared Ross abruptly. "It's a sure thing that you're not
able to walk there with the ground in this sodden condition. Anyway, I
won't have to carry the puppies."

Thankful but still protesting, Anton got into the boat and the journey
began anew.

It was a weary way. Ross staggered forward, half-blind with sleep,
wading knee-deep, sometimes waist-deep, in the water. The rain had
stopped, but the sky was heavy and the clouds hung low. Twice Anton had
to jerk on the tow-rope to jolt Ross awake, for, unnoticing, he was
heading for deep water. Even near the shore the torrent was full of
floating debris. The bodies of horses and cattle drifting down the
stream told of many impoverished farms and the flotsam was eloquent of
wrecked and demolished houses and indicative of sufferi