"I"m coming!" shouted the boy.
Before that moment he had not had breath nor the time to call.
"I"m coming!" he repeated, as they swung around the wide sweeping curve.
"Are you there, Tad?"
"Yes," was the scarcely distinguishable reply. "I"ve got to let go."
"You hold on. Bad-eye and I will be there in a minute and the Professor is hurrying down along the bank with a rope."
"I"m freezing. I"m all numb, that"s the trouble," answered Tad weakly.
Ned knew that the plucky lad was well-nigh exhausted. The strain of holding to the slippery rock in the face of the swift current was one that would have taxed the strength of the strongest man, to say nothing of the almost freezing cold water, which chilled the blood and benumbed the senses.
"You"ve gone past me," cried Tad.
"I know it. I"m heading up," replied Ned Rector.
Ned had purposely driven his pony further down stream so that he might the easier pick them up as he went by on the return trip.
"Are you all right down there?" called the Professor, who had reached a point on the bank opposite to them.
"Yes, but get ready to cast me a rope," directed Ned.
"I"m afraid I cannot."
"Then have Walter do it."
"He is not here. I directed him to remain in camp in case he was needed there."
"All right. You can try later. I"ll tell you how. I"m busy now."
"Don"t run me down," warned Tad Butler.
"Keep talking then, so I"ll know where you are. Just say yip-yip and keep it up."
Tad did so, but his voice was weak and uncertain.
Ned swam the pony alongside of them, pulling hard on the reins to slow the animal down without exerting pressure enough to stop him.
"Is Chunky able to help himself?"
"Yes, if he will."
"Then both of you grab Bad-eye by the mane as he goes by. Don"t you miss, for if you do, we"re all lost."
"The pony won"t be able to get the three of us up the stream,"
objected Tad.
"I know it."
"Then, what are we going to do?"
"I"ll stay here and hang on. You send Walter back with the pony as soon as you get there. Better call to him to get Pink-eye or one of the others saddled as soon as you can make him hear. We"ll save time that way. I"m afraid Bad-eye won"t be able to make the return trip."
"Now grab for the rock," cried Tad.
Ned did so, but he missed it.
Tad still clinging to Chunky fastened his right hand in the broncho"s mane. All three of the boys were now clinging to the overburdened animal. Ned began swimming to a.s.sist the pony, for he realized that they had dropped back a few feet in taking on the extra weight.
"Work further back and get hold of the saddle," Ned directed.
Tad followed his instructions.
"I"m afraid he"ll never make it," groaned Ned. "I----"
At that instant his hand came in violent contact with a hard, cold object. It was the slender, pillar-like rock that Tad had been clinging to for so long in the icy water.
"I"ve got it," exclaimed Ned.
He cast loose from Bad-eye and threw both arms about the rock. The pony freed from a share of his burden, struck off up stream against the current, making excellent headway.
"I don"t like to do this," Tad called back. "I wouldn"t, were it not for Chunky. He couldn"t have stood it there another minute."
"You can"t help yourself now. How"s the kid?" called Ned.
"He"s all right now."
"Professor, are you up there?"
"Yes."
He had heard the dialogue between the boys, and understood well what had been done.
"That was a brave thing to do, Master Ned."
"Thank you, Professor. Suppose you try to cast that rope to me. I"m afraid I shall never be able to hold on here alone as long as Tad did. B-r-r-r, but it"s cold!" he shivered.
The Professor tried his hand at casting the lariat.
"Never touched me," said Ned, more to keep up his own spirits than with the intent to speak slightingly of the Professor"s effort.
"Take it up stream throw it out, then let it float down," suggested Ned.
Professor Zepplin did so, but the rope was found to be too short to reach, and at Ned"s direction, he made no further attempt.