Part 14 (1/2)

”Grab my horse's tail, or get hold of the stirrup!” yelled Gabe. ”I'm going to try and turn him toward sh.o.r.e!”

The advice came just in time. Jed, who was slipping and stumbling along, with the water up to his shoulders, managed to grasp the left stirrup leather.

”Give me your gun!” called the miner, and the boy held it up.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Give me your gun!” called the miner]

Then, fortunately, Gabe's horse managed to get a footing on a comparatively smooth place, where the river was not so deep. The miner held the steed there a moment, to give Jed a chance to get a better hold.

”I'm going to head him toward the sh.o.r.e,” the old miner said, after a moment's pause. ”Hold on tight now. It may be deeper as we go to the side.”

It was, and Jed found himself swept off his feet in an instant. However, Gabe's horse was a strong swimmer, and managed to make some headway, diagonally against the current. It was a hard struggle against the powerful stream, but at length the steed managed to get beyond the pull of the rapids, and into a shallow place close to sh.o.r.e.

”I can stand up, now,” said Jed, as he let his feet down, and touched bottom. ”I'm all right. Go ahead!”

An instant later Gabe's horse scrambled up the bank, and the boy followed.

”I guess my horse is gone!” he cried. The loss was a serious one to him, for all his possessions were on the saddle, in the pack.

”Maybe he'll go ash.o.r.e lower down,” said Gabe. ”We'll have to look.

h.e.l.lo!” he shouted, wis.h.i.+ng to attract the attention of the others. Back came a yell.

”That's Will's voice,” declared Jed. ”They're coming down this way.”

So it proved, and a little while later the two miners, and Will, having safely crossed the stream, joined Gabe and Jed. They were all more or less wet, but none had had the misfortune that attended Jed.

”We'll have a look for your horse,” said the old miner to Jed. ”Will, suppose you build a fire, and Mr. Curtin and Mr. Hurd will help make camp. Jed and I will see if we can't find that contrary nag. If he'd been content to swim straight across, instead of wanting to shoot the rapids, we'd have been all right.”

”Suppose he's on the other side of the river?” suggested Will.

”Hold on!” exclaimed Jed with a laugh. ”Don't go to suggesting such things now, Will. I've had trouble enough.”

In the darkness Jed and the miner set off down the stream. It broadened out as it flowed on, the banks stretching away into level plains.

”There's something moving, straight ahead!” exclaimed the boy, pointing to where a darker blotch of blackness was visible in the night.

”Yes, and it's a horse grazing. I hope it's yours,” spoke Gabe.

”I can't see any pack on its back,” went on Jed, as they came nearer.

”Must be a horse from some camp then.”

They came nearer. The horse ceased grazing and looked at them curiously.

”Hey, Pete!” called Jed, for he had been riding the old cultivator horse that once ran away. At the sound of his voice the animal whinnied.

”That's Pete, but where's the pack?” inquired Jed. ”I hope it didn't get lost in the river.”