The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-04-25
Hollis at the other end.

LET gol" roared to him as pushed
my horses down the bank in order to
attempt the assistance that I knew 1
could not give. ''Let go the line and
get out while you canl Don't you see
they're closing around your Let gol'
Spider heard and shook his head. He
had no intention whatever Of letting
Co. Dragged upward by Hollis superior
weight. he was hanging with his feet
just touching the water. In spite of his
desperate hold the lariat was slipping
through Spiders hands. His face was
getting white under it's tan. but his
teeth were set and still he held fast.
"Let go! Let go. nowI" | called
again. Spider did not let 60, and then
it was too late. A bunch of cattle, con-
fused by the stir, that were numbering
almlessly about, crowded against him
and hemmed him in. As rode drew
my pistol and fired three shots in lapid
succession. 1t is distress signal that
is universally known, and if it was
heard it could not fail to bring the men
back to Spiders aid.
For moment no one answered.
There was no time for an answer. But
l did not realize that then. l rode at
the cattle and fired three more shots,
this time straight into them, and three
of them rolled over into the muddy wa
ter. | was so close that I could not
miss, and would cheerfully have sacri-
ticed the whole herd Just then if it
would have helped Spider out. But my
pistol was empty, and all l could do
was to try, with the able assistance of
the little bay mare 1 rode, to scatter
the cattle that held him into the herd.
Indeed the mare did far more than I in
the minute that followed Seeming to
realize tho situation. she plunged.
kicked and even bit as she tried to force
her way.
The press got thicker and thicker.
The little mare could only struggle
family against it. l was quite close to
Spider now. hut might as we'll have
been mile away. for could not reach
him. caught sight of his red head
only once. The rest nf the time I could
see nothing but the strained line that
hummed between the be-. ID the heavy
man that was tryi- :; to climb by it. I
could still yell, and did. Three shots
came back in answer, and in another
moment help had arrived
The cattle that held Us into the herd
were scattered One OF the COWBOYS
caught my mare by the bride and led
her, protesting agains. the indignity,
up the bank AS we went turned nv
head in time to see that Cappy Lee had
picked Spider up bodily by his belt aid
that he looked more spiderlike than ever
with his legs and arms fiourishing in
the air as he was lifted to seat in
front of his rescuer At the same time
another man cut Spiders rope. Then,
carrying the loose end to his saddle
horn. he took quick turn and gal
loped away. OF course the strain on
Hollis arm must have been terrible No
man could have held on. even though
his life depended upon it, but Hollis
had secured the loop around his wrist
and had no choice but to come. Bump.
ing over the back of one COW after an
other and yelling frightfullly as he
came. Hollis at last dropped with a
splash into the shallow water near the
shore. The cowboy cast loose the rope
from his saddle horn and cantered after
Lee
Released from control. the cattle
scattered and soon. except for the three
dead ones, there was not COW in sight.
Another attempt t. GLOSS the river then
was impossible We had done our best
ard had failed