gishly not more than fifty or sixty feet from the
steep slope that rose to a considerable height. "Driftin' plumb along
the edge of the bench," he opined, "if I only had the pole." He untied
the rope by which he had dragged himself aboard from the rock, and
coiled it slowly, measuring the distance with his eye. "Too short by
twenty feet," he concluded, "an' nothin' to tie to if I was near
enough." He glanced downward with concern. The boat was settling lower
and lower. The gunwales were scarcely a foot above the water. "She'll be
divin' out from under us directly," he muttered. "I wonder how deep it
is?" Hanging the coiled rope on the horn of the saddle he slipped over
the edge, but although he let down to the full reach of his arms his
feet did not touch bottom and he drew himself aboard again. The boat was
moving very slowly, drifting lazily across a bit of slack water that had
backed into the mouth of a wide coulee. Fifty yards away, at the head of
the little bay formed by the backwater, the Texan saw a bit of level,
grass-covered beach. Glancing helplessly at his rope, he noticed that
the horse was gazing hungrily at the grass, and in an instant, the man
sprang into action. Catching up his boots he secured them to the saddle
by means of a dangling pack string, and hastily uncoiling the rope he
slipped the noose over the horn of the saddle. The other end he knotted
and springing to the girl's side shook her roughly. "Wake up! Wake up!
In a minute it'll be too late!" Half lifting her to her feet he hastily
explained his plan, as he talked he tore the brilliant scarf from his
neck and tied it firmly about his own wrist and hers. Making her take
firm hold about his neck he seized the knotted rope with one hand, while
with the other he reached for the ax and brought the handle down with a
crash against the horse's flank. The sudden blow caused the frightened
animal to leap clean over the low gunwale. He went completely out of
sight, but a moment later his head appeared, and snorting, and thrashing
about, he struck out for shore. When the slack was out of the line the
Texan threw his arm about the girl's waist, and together they leaped
over the side in the wake of the swimming horse. Even with the small
amount of slack that remained, the jerk when the line pulled taut all
but loosened the Texan's hold. Each moment seemed an eternity, as the
weight of both hung upon the Texan's one-handed grip. "Hold for all
you're worth!" h