eaven he is spared to me!"

"Look out there, youngster!"

It was a wild cry, coming from a bend in the stream. Dick had been
gazing across the river. Now he turned to behold his craft rushing
swiftly toward the trunk of a half-submerged tree which the storm had
torn away from the shore.

The river was almost a torrent at this place.

He grasped the oars, intending to turn the boat from its mad course. But
the action came too late. Crash! The craft struck a sharp branch of the
tree with fearful force, staving in the bow completely, and the next
instant the boy was hurled headlong into the boiling and foaming
current.

[Illustration: "The next instant the boy was hurled headlong into
the boiling and foaming current"]

CHAPTER VIII.

EXPOSING A SWINDLER.

It was less than an hour after separating from Dick Arbuckle that Pawnee
Brown found his way to Arkansas City.

He was accompanied by Jack Rasco and Cal Clemmer, and the great scout's
object was not alone to aid Dick in the search for Mortimer Arbuckle,
but also to help Cal Clemmer get back some money out of which the cowboy
boomer claimed he had been swindled.

Clemmer had played cards with a certain sharp known as Pete Stillwater,
and lost two hundred and fifty dollars. At first he had imagined he had
lost it fairly enough, but after thoughts, coupled with what he heard on
the sly the next day, made him certain that Stillwater had cheated him.

He had brought his case to Pawnee Brown, and the leader of the boomers
at once concluded that the gambler had not acted fairly. He had met
Stillwater at Wichita, where the gambler's reputation was far from
savory.

"You were a fool to bet at cards, Cal," he said flatly. "But that is no
reason why Stillwater should cheat you. I'll do what I can, but you must
promise to leave playing for high stakes alone in the future."

"Don't yer fear, Pawnee," was Clemmer's ready reply. "A scorched Injun
keeps hez distance from the blaze, don't he? Wall, I'm the scorched
Injun in this air case. Git back my money fer me an' I won't play
nothin' higher then penny-ante ez long ez I live."

The gambling resort at which Stillwater was holding forth was soon
reached, and the three entered, to find the place comfortably crowded by
boomers, men-about-town, cowboys and gamblers, all anxious to add to
their wealth without working. As Pawnee Brown surveyed the assemblage
his lip curled with a sarcasm which was by no means displac