nched himself at Luke's
throat where he stood breast-high in the glassing current. The slave
caught the dog's whole windpipe in both hands and went with him under
the flood. Hardy's supreme care for Charmer had lost him the strategic
moment, but he fired straight at Rebecca.

She did not fall and his weapon flew up for a second shot! but by some
sheer luck I knocked the pistol spinning yards away into the river.
While it spun I saw other things: Rebecca clasping a wounded arm; Luke
and the dog reappearing apart, the dog about to repeat his onset; and
Hardy dumb with rage.

"Call the puppy!" I cried, "you'll save him yet."

The master winded his horn, and the dog swam our way. At the same time
his fellows came about us, while on the farther bank Luke helped his
wife writhe up through the waterside vines, and with her disappeared.
Only Euonymus remained in the water, at the far edge of the gravel-bar.

I was so happy that I laughed. "All right," I cried, "I'll pay for the
revolver."

Foul epithets were Hardy's reply while he spurred madly to and fro in
search of an opening in the vines to let his horse down into the
stream. I rode with him, knee to knee. "You'll pay for this with your
life !" he yelled down my throat. "I'll kill you, so help me God!
_Charmer! Dandy! go, take the nigger!_"

The whole baying pack darted off for Euonymus's crossing. "_Take the
nigger, Charmer! Ah! take him, my lady!_" We saw that Euonymus could
not swim. Still knee to knee with Hardy, I drew and fired. "Puppy's"
mate yelped and rolled over, dead.

"Call them back," I said, holding my weapon high; but Hardy only
shrieked curses and cried:

"_Take the nigger, Charmer, take him!_"

I fired again. Poor Dandy! He sprang aside howling piteously, with
melting eyes on his master.

"Oh, God!" cried Hardy, leaping down beside the wailing dog, that
pushed its head into his bosom like a sick child. "Oh, God, but you
shall die for this!"

He was half right but so was I and I checked up barely enough to cry
back: "Call 'em off! Call 'em off or I'll shoot Charmer!"

With Dandy clasped close and with eyes streaming he blew the recall.
Looking for its effect, I saw Euonymus trying to swim and Charmer
quitting the chase. But the young dog kept on. The current was
carrying Euonymus away. Twice through vines and brush, while I cried:
"Catch the fallen tree below you! Catch the tree!" I tried to spur my
horse down into the s