a way that caused.
his heart to seemingly stand still.

"She's agoing to move out right away, I do believe, boys!" cried
Bandy-legs, as he looked longingly toward the shore.

There was Shack Beggs almost half-way to the end of the bridge, and
walking as fast as he could. From his manner it looked as though Shack
would only too gladly have sprinted for the land, only that he hated to
hear the jeering remarks which his cronies were sure to send at him for
showing the white feather; so he compromised by walking ever so fast.

"Hadn't we better be going, Max?" asked Steve.

"That's the stuff!" muttered Bandy-legs.

"M-m-me too!" added Toby.

Max took one last look up the river. As he did so he saw that there
was now a decided movement aboard the floating mass of stuff that was
coming down toward the bridge.

Whatever it was that had been lying there now struggled to its feet.

"Oh! would you look at that?" exclaimed Steve.

"Must be a calf!" echoed Bandy-legs.

"I'd s-s-say a yeller dog!" Toby declared.

"Anyhow it's an animal and not a human being," said Max; "and things
are getting too shaky for us to stay any longer out here, and take
chances, just to try and save a dog or a calf or a goat. Let's put for
the shore, boys!"

"And every fellow run for it too!" added Steve, as again they felt that
terrible shudder pass through the wooden structure that had spanned the
Evergreen Elver as far back as they could remember; and which somehow
forcibly reminded Max of the spasm apt to run through the muscles of a
stricken animal before giving up the ghost.

That was enough to start them with a rush. Once they gave way to the
feeling that it was close on the breaking point for the bridge and what
might be likened to a small-sized panic took possession of them all.

Shack Beggs somehow seemed to scent their coming. Perhaps he felt the
vibrations increase, or else the shouts that both Steve and Bandy-legs
gave utterance to reached his strained hearing.

At any rate Shack twisted his head, and looked back over his shoulder.
If he had been anxious to reach the shore before, he was fairly wild
now to accomplish that same object. They could see him take a spurt.
He no longer deigned to walk, but ran as though in a race; as indeed
all of them were, even though as yet they hardly comprehended the fact.

It might be possible that this was the worst thing the boys could have
done, and that had they been contented to