Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-05
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK
CHAPTER VI.


~7OCKY MOUNTAIN gave one look at
* the eapszed vehicle. The body OF
the wagon had parted from the for
I'D ward axle and the horses were
making their way to the shore with
the forward wheels attached to
them. Then he sprang back over the fallen
tree and looked down the stream for signs OF
the boy. Rob was nowhere visible, and Rocky
at once surmised that he was beneath the jam
of logs, under which he had disappeared.
Rocky went out upon them, the water
splashing about his feet, and knelt down near
the edge, reaching his hand under the logs as
far as he could and cropping around There
was one chance in thousand, but that chance
seemed to be in the boys favor, for the mans
hand came in contact, after while, with
cloth-like substance.
With some little difficulty he drew Rob
from the perilous position. The boy was to
all appearances dead, but the man was an ex-
pert in such matters, and in short time the
breath came back to the pinehed nostrils the
blue lips parted, and the boys eyes opened
Where am Il" gasped Rob. 81 thought
was dead"
"Oh, no. not so bad as that" replied Rocky,
cheerfully, still chatting Rob's hands to restore
the circulation. You're worth a dozen dead
boys yet"
GENTLY, he once more undertook to cross the
stream. He never would have reached the
other bank had it not been for the helping
hand of Rocky, who half supported him
Then they made their way down the creek,
the ground being comparatively open and free
from underbrush. They found the horses I'M
hurt, and Mr.. Stoddard and Bill McGregor
drenched to the skin, but once more on dry
land;
ruefully, as he stood shivering in his wet gar
Tnanfc fic hnXv IN o1t the wa ncbora .,
Its CROWN colder, an by tomorrer the
water'l fall off consid'able. Then we could
right it." replied Black Bill looking out to-
ward the wagon, fifty feet away. "The wa
ter's most four feet deep now"
Various expedients were hit upon. only to
be given up one after another and at length
four of the men started back to procure some
thing to eat, the food upon the wagon not be-
ing entirely available, even if it were in fit
condition to be eaten. The load had been SO
securely bound upon the wagon, which was
half covered with water, that but little of it
had fallen off.
As good luck would have it. number of
the men from force of long habit had carried
axes on their shoulders, and with these they
commenced to clear away spot for camp.
The ground was quickly smoothed off, a
fire built, some poles stuck in the ground, and
a shed-roof of boughs put up. Then with fir
and hemlaek boughs they covered the ground
in the rapidly-built camp, and, when the men
returned with the necessary eatables, and a
bag of oats for the horses, merry, light
hearted crew lounged upon the boughs before
the bright blaze.
''What if it should rain tonight" asked
Rocky, as he stood looking upon the novel
scene.
1--WE never think of that" answered Reddy
White. mo use to fret OF. growl as long as
you're comfortable. I've drove stream, an
laid on few pine boughs on the snow. an
most froze night after night. All day long
we'd be ridin' logs or saeking' the shore. This
amt nothin'."
The night proved to be cold, and the men,
utterly devoid of blankets, found some diff
Guilty in getting any sleep. The preceding
night had been anything but pleasant to Rob
Archer. but this night, with its alternate
spells of burning and freezing, as the fire grew
unbearably hot or smoldered almost out,
proved far worse, and he hailed the coming
of morning with real pleasure.
AS soon as it had grown sufficiently light,
Mr.. Stoddard went to the bank of the stream,
the camping aground having been selected a
few rods back, amid the thick growth. To