Part 4 (1/2)

So saying Steve hurried toward the sh.o.r.e, carrying the little child tenderly in his arms. Doubtless some one would be sure to recognize the small chap who had had such a narrow escape from a terrible fate; and if not just then, he would be well looked after until his folks turned up later on.

The wildest sort of reception was given Steve when he once got ash.o.r.e.

He could be seen trying to fend off the many hands that were outstretched to seize upon his digits, and give them a squeeze of approval, for deeds like this arouse the warmest sentiments in the human heart. In vain did Steve declare that it had been Max who had taken all the risks in the endeavor to save a precious little life; but the crowd would not keep back, and insisted that he let them do him honor. He had done his part in the rescue work at least, and was ent.i.tled to their congratulations, and they would not be denied.

Steve hastened to push his burden into the arms of the first woman who manifested the least desire to get hold of the child; and after that he pressed his way out of the crowd, heading once more for the imperiled bridge.

”Better come off there, now, Steven!” warned a gentleman who was standing near the approach to the structure; ”there isn't one chance in a thousand that she'll hold out much longer, and it might be all your lives are worth to go down with the wreck when the time comes!”

But Steve was young, and filled with the spirit of adventure. Besides, after having been out there so long he had become partly used to the sickening tremor, and did not mind its warning as much as before.

”That's for Max to say, Mr. Harding,” he called back. ”If he thinks it's getting too dangerous for us, we'll sure come in right away. I've got to leave it with Max.”

Two minutes later and he joined his chums, who were still near the middle of the bridge, again looking up the river anxiously.

”See another baby coming along?” demanded Steve, as he joined them.

”Not yet, I'm glad to say,” replied Max, who was not so inflated over the grand success that had attended his first life saving effort that he wanted other opportunities to confront them immediately.

”L-l-looked like they came near p-p-pulling you to p-p-pieces, Steve,”

remarked Toby, with a grin.

”That's right,” agreed Steve, frowning; ”everybody tried to grab my hand at the same time, and me a telling them all the while I didn't have a thing to do with saving the child, only hauling on the rope.

Say, I know now why you wouldn't go ash.o.r.e, Max; you didn't want to be mobbed, did you? It's just terrible I'm telling you all. If I ever save anybody's life I'm going to take to the woods right away, till everybody forgets it.”

”I saw Mr. Harding talking to you; what did he say?” asked Max, smiling a little to find that Steve was so modest.

”Oh! like a good many more of 'em he thinks we're taking too big chances staying right along out here, and that we ought to come ash.o.r.e,” Steve replied.

”He means it for our good, all right,” ventured Bandy-legs, ”and you know, fellers, he had a boy drowned year before last, so I reckon he's worried about us more than a little. What did you tell him, Steve?”

”That I'd leave it to Max here,” came the reply.

”Which is putting a lot of responsibility on my poor shoulders,”

remarked that worthy, with a shrug.

”Well, you're our leader, and as long as we believe you know best we expect to follow out your ideas,” Steve went on to say.

”That sounds pretty fine, Steve,” observed Max; ”but right now if I told you I thought we'd better go ash.o.r.e you'd kick like a steer.”

”Oh! well, you see there doesn't seem to be any very great danger as long as a big tree ain't swooping down to strike the bridge a crack; and besides, what if another baby happened to come sailing along on a raft, what'd we think of ourselves if we'd gone up on the bank, and couldn't even make a break to save it?”

Steve argued fairly well, and Max did not attempt to press the matter.

To tell the truth he was tempted to linger to the very last in the hope of being instrumental in doing more good. If one child had been sent adrift in the flood, perhaps there might be others also in need of succor. And so Max, usually so cautious, allowed himself to be tempted to linger even when his better judgment warned him of the terrible risks they ran.

”Some of that crowd think we're sillies for staying out here, don't they, Steve?” Bandy-legs asked, after a little time had elapsed, without their sighting any more precious cargoes coming down on the flood.