et before. "They're straight
in front--people in a boat."

"Hello!" now was wafted the shout, in English. "This way."

Maria and Francisco paddled slowly, awaiting another lightning flash.
It came, disclosing the other boat only a few canoe lengths away.
Maria and Francisco paddled cautiously; the lightning flashes were
frequent, as if the storm was about to break, and the two boats could
see one another constantly.

"What's the matter here?" demanded Mr. Adams, as Maria and Francisco
held the dug-out a paddle's distance from the stranger boat. By the
flare of the dying torch, and the flashes of the lightning, this was
revealed as a native canoe, with two boatmen and two passengers.

"Be careful," warned a white man's voice. "We're hung up here on a
snag, and need help. We've been here five hours, and not a boat would
stop to lend a hand. If you've the hearts of men you'll stand by and
give us a lift. Our boatmen are worn out, and one of us is sick as a
dog."

"Well, sir, you can depend on us," assured Mr. Adams. "We're probably
in the biggest hurry of all, but we're not brutes. Let's see what's to
be done." He spoke to Maria in Spanish, and Maria and Francisco began
to chatter with the other boatmen.

"We've sprung a leak, too," said the spokesman in the wrecked canoe.
"It keeps two of us bailing. I won't leave my partner. He's too sick
to swim. Cholera, I might as well tell you. Can you take us aboard?"

"We'll try," replied Mr. Adams. "Much baggage?"

"We've thrown the baggage over, or else we wouldn't be on top. All we
ask is to get to Pena Blanca or some nearer place if there is any; and
we'll pay your price."

"There's no price, sir," said Mr. Adams, firmly. "We can take them in,
can't we, Grigsby?"

"You bet," responded Mr. Grigsby. "They can count on us some way or
other. I'd not desert friend or stranger in distress for all the gold
in California."

"Thanks later, then," spoke the other, shortly. "But our torch is out,
there's a foot of water in the bottom, and if that storm breaks on us
we'll be swamped. Fetch your boat alongside, will you?"

His tone was the tone of authority, as if he had been accustomed to
command. Mr. Adams delivered a sentence to Maria; and the dug-out was
carefully worked in to the wrecked boat. Now edge to edge they
floated. The other boat was hard and fast on a sunken tree, and a
sharp branch had jabbed clear through the bottom.

"My partner fir