d filled it with water.

Then, carrying the cap as carefully as he could, Russ made his way to
where the cowboy had called from. The little boy found the injured man
lying in the tall grass.

"Ah! That's good!" exclaimed the cowboy, as he drank the water. "Now if
you could catch my horse for me maybe I could get up on him, and ride
him to where I belong. Do you see my horse anywhere?"

Russ looked all about. At first he saw nothing, but, as he gazed across
the bridge he saw, on the other side of the creek, a big horse eating
grass.

"I see him!" said Russ to the cowboy. "He's over the bridge."

"Is he? That's good. Then he didn't go very far away, after all. Now,
look here, you seem to be a pretty smart boy," and the cowboy spoke in a
stronger voice, now that he had had a drink of water. "Do you want to
help me?"

"Yes," said Russ, "I'd like to help you. My mother says we must help
everybody, and give them a drink of cold water, even our enemies, and I
know you're not an enemy."

"I don't know about that," said the cowboy with a queer laugh, and he
turned his head away and seemed to be looking at his horse, which was on
the other side of the bridge, eating grass.

"No, you're not an enemy," went on Russ. "An enemy is a bad man, and
you're not that."

"I wouldn't be so sure on that point, either," returned the cowboy. "But
I won't hurt you, that's certain. Now look here, boy----"

"My name is Russ Bunker," interrupted the lad.

"Well, Russ, do you think you could go across the bridge and get my
horse for me? If I had him I could ride away, now that I feel better
after having had a drink. Will you cross the bridge and get my horse for
me?"

"No," said Russ slowly, "I couldn't do that."

"Why not? The horse won't hurt you. He's so tame you could walk right up
to him, and get hold of the reins. He won't run the way some horses do.
You know something about horses or you wouldn't be riding one. Why won't
you get mine?"

"'Cause Mother said I wasn't to cross the bridge alone," answered Russ.
"Me or Laddie--we can't go across the bridge alone."

"Oh," said the cowboy. "But then your mother didn't know you were going
to meet a sick man--one that couldn't walk. She'd let you cross the
bridge if she was here."

"But she isn't here," said Russ. "I know what I can do, though! I can
ride back and ask her if Laddie and I can go across the bridge for your
horse. I'll do it!"

"No! Wait! Hold on a minute!" cried t