struction
of the poor ass was imminent, but because of the danger which menaced
ourselves. Our party was divided, and should the chain give way, under
stress of El Sabio's kicks and plunges, all possibility of our coming
together again was at an end. Rayburn might leave us and go on; and so,
perhaps, save his own life. But for the rest of us there would be no
hope. Behind us was death by starvation. In front of us was this
impassable gulf.

From Pablo, who was quite wild with dreadful anticipations of the
parting of the chain and the loss to him forever of his friend, least
was to be expected in the strait wherein we were; yet it was from Pablo
that our rescue came. With a quick apprehension of the needs of the
case, he rove a running-knot in the end of one of the pack-ropes, and
with a dexterous cast of this improvised lasso set the loop of it about
El Sabio's neck as that unfortunate animal for a moment ceased his
strugglings and hung still. And then we all strained on the rope
together, and in a minute had El Sabio safely with us again; but in such
a state of terror that pity for him wrung our hearts.

But the limpness which the reaction from such deadly fear threw him into
made handling him easy; and this time, when we launched him forth
(taking the precaution, however, to fasten one end of a rope to the
chain), he went sailing across the full width of the chasm, and Rayburn
in a moment had him landed in safety. The instant that the chain was
loosened Pablo hauled it back, and an instant later swung lightly across
the canon, and straightway fell to fondling the terrified creature and
comforting him with all manner of tender words. And he so piteously
besought us to give El Sabio one good drink that we passed the water-keg
and the bucket across, and permitted the poor ass to drink half of our
stock of water without debate of the sacrifice. Indeed, this refreshment
was so necessary to him that without it I doubt if he could have gone
on.

While El Sabio thus gathered courage and strength again, Young swung
over to the other side, and we passed our stores across from ledge to
ledge--having ropes made fast to the chain, and so steadying each load
from the one side while we hauled from the other. This was easy work,
and we quickly finished it. When it was ended I braced myself for the
flying journey through the air across that gulf so deep that the bottom
of it was lost in black shadows, through which the sparkling wa