grip. And she could feel the
powerful strokes of her horse as he panted and swam under her.

Above the terrifying swirl of the waters, carrying in the hardly
distinguishable light of the breaking day, a mass of debris that swept
about the two riders, the only sound was the hard breathing of the
horses and a shout repeated by Laramie, until at last it was answered
by Hawk somewhere in the darkness ahead.

Urging the horses to their task, Laramie guided them to where Kate
could make out portions of the creek bank. She could realize how fast
they were being carried down stream by the wild sweep of the current.
Trees flashed past her like phantoms, as if the bank were mad instead
of the creek. It seemed impossible she could ever make the bank, now
very near, and get up out of the water; only Laramie's hand locked firm
now in her horse's mane, his strong voice as he urged the horses or
called to Hawk, gave her the slightest hope of coming out alive.

Laramie cried to her to duck as a cottonwood leaning over the water
almost tore her cap and hair from her head. The next instant the
cottonwood was gone and, looking ahead, she saw a horseman on a slope
in the bank, his own horse half submerged. They had reached one of
several old fords. Here the two men had purposed to get Kate ashore.
But she did not know that this was the last of the ford crossings for a
mile--the only shelving bank--nor why Laramie made such superhuman
efforts to head her horse toward Hawk, to get to where the horse could
ground his feet. Hawk, in an effort to catch Kate's bridle, spurred
down to them till his own horse was afloat. Kate's horse struggled
desperately, lost headway and was swept below the ford opening. The
two men with shouts, curses and entreaties, guiding their own horses,
urged the hapless beast to greater effort; it was evident he could not
reach the ford.

"The roan can't make it," shouted Hawk. "Crowd him up to the ledge
where I can get hold of her."

Hawk, reining his horse hastily about, got him back up the shelving
ford, spurred down the bank to where Kate, despite Laramie's efforts,
was being driven by the sweep of the water and sprang from his horse.
Where Kate's horse struggled at that moment the creek bank rose
vertically above the peak of the flood. Deep water gave the horse no
chance for a foothold and it swam helplessly. Hawk, running along the
ledge, awaited his chance. It came at a moment that Laramie succee