Ralphson George Harvey - Boy Scouts on the Open Plains; The Round-Up Not Ordered стр 8.

Well, we are going to get you out of that in a hurry, now, Ned told him in a reassuring tone; Jack, climb up after me, to help pull. Jimmy, you stand by to do anything else thats wanted.

Ned, being a born woodsman, had immediately noted the fact that the limb of a tree exactly overhung the spot where the boy had been trapped in the shifting sand. This made his task the easier; but had it been otherwise he would have found some means for accomplishing his ends, even though he had to make a mattress of bushes and branches on which to safely approach the one in deadly peril.

Creeping out on that stout limb Ned dropped the noose of his rope down to the boy, who was only some six feet below him.

Put it around under your arms, Ned told him; but as though he understood the method of procedure already, the boy in the sand was even in the act of doing this when Ned spoke.

Tie the end around the limb and let me pull myself up, Mister, wont you? the boy pleaded, as though ashamed of having been caught in a trap, and wishing to do something looking to his own release.

This suited Ned just as well, though he meant to have a hand in the pulling process himself and also give Jack a chance. So when he fastened the rope to the limb of the tree he did so at a point midway between himself and Jack.

Get hold and pull! he said in a low tone to his chum; for already was the boy below straining himself with might and main to effect his own release.

It would have proved a much harder task than he contemplated; but the scouts

did not mean that he should exhaust himself any further in trying. They managed to get some sort of grip on the rope and then Ned called out cheerily:

Yo heave-o! here he comes! Yo-heave-o! up with him, Jack! Now, once more, all together for a grand pull yo-heave-o! Hurrah, hes nearly out of the sand!

Five seconds later and the energetic boy was scrambling across the limb of the tree; and in as many minutes all of them had descended to the ground, the end accomplished and nobody much the worse for the experience.

It was a close call for me, thats sure, the boy was saying, as he gravely went around and shook hands with each one of the scouts, not excepting Harry, who had meanwhile come up, leading the three burros; an I want you all to know Im glad that donkey let out his whoop when he did. Why, I might a been all under when you got here; but say, I lost my gun and that makes me mad.

Looking at the boy more closely they were struck with the fact that while he did not seem to be more than nine years old, he was dressed like a cow-puncher and had a resolute air. How much of this was assumed in order to impress them with the idea that he had not been alarmed in the least by his recent peril, of course no one could say. Ned was wondering how the boy, brought up undoubtedly amidst such perils and on the lookout for danger all the while, could have fallen into such a silly little trap as this.

What were you doing in the stream that you stood there and let the sand suck you in? he asked as he proceeded to help the boy scrape himself off so as to appear more presentable.

I was a little fool, all right, the kid immediately answered, with an expression of absolute disgust on his sharp face; you see, I glimpsed a bunch of deer feeding just over yonder to windward and as they were headin in this way I thought Id lie low under the river bank and wait till they got inside easy gunshot. I tied my pony over in the thickest place of the timber and then walked out to where the water jest come to my knees, where I got low down to wait. Say, I was that taken up with watchin them deer afeedin up that I forgets all about everything else and was some sprised to feel the water tricklin around my waist like. After that I knowed the huntin game was all up, and that less I wanted to be smothered Id have to get out in a hurry. But it didnt matter much how I pulled, an heaved and tried to swim I jest stuck like I was bolted down to a snubbin post and somebody had cinched the girth on me. Then, after a while, when I was expectin to swaller water, I heard that burro singin and afore I could help it I jest hollored out. Guess you must a thought it was a maverick. I could a kicked myself right away afterwards cause I give tongue so wild like!

Ned smiled. He realized that the cub had imbibed the spirit of the Indian warrior who disdains to display any weakness of the flesh. No matter how much he may have been frightened by his recent terrible predicament, he did not choose any one to know about it. Indians may feel fear but they have learned never to show it by look or action and to go to their deaths, if need be, taunting the foe.

Well, he told the small boy, we intended to camp for the night here close to the river and wed be glad to have you stay over with us. Plenty of grub for everybody and it might be much more pleasant than being by yourself. We are not Western boys but then weve been around more or less and know something about how things are done out here. Will you join us er