m straying one way or another.

Tad Butler and his companions were aiding in this work, shouting from
the pure joy of their experience, and, in an hour's time, the last steer
had swum the stream and clambered up the sloping bank on the other side.

"There!" announced the foreman. "That's a bad job well done. I wish the
trail wagon were here. A cup of hot coffee wouldn't go bad after an hour
in the water."

"After several of them, you mean," added Tad. "You know we have been out
in the rain all night."

"Yes, and you did a bang-up piece of work, you and Big-foot. How did you
happen to lead the cattle straight ahead, instead of turning the
leaders?"

"It was the kid's suggestion," answered Big-foot Sanders. "He's got a
man's head on his shoulders that more'n makes up for what the gopher
hasn't got."

"It does, indeed," agreed Stallings.

"How are we going to get that trail wagon over when it comes up!" asked
one of the men.

"That's what's bothering me," answered the foreman. "Perhaps our young
friend here can give us a suggestion. His head is pretty full of ideas,"
added the foreman, more with an intent to compliment Tad than in the
expectation of getting valuable suggestions from him.

"What is your usual method?" asked the boy.

"Well, to tell the truth, I've never had quite such a proposition as
this on my hands."

"I guess you will have to float it over."

"It won't float. It'll sink."

"You can protect it from that."

"How?" asked the foreman, now keenly interested.

"First take all the stuff out of it. That will save your equipment if
anything happens to the wagon. Ferry the equipment over on the backs of
the ponies. If it's too heavy, take over what you can."

"Well, what next?" asked Stallings.

"Get some timbers and construct a float under the wagon."

"Where you going to get timber around these parts?" demanded Big-foot.

"I see plenty of trees near the river. Cut down a few and make a raft of
them."

"By George, the kid's hit it!" exclaimed Stallings, clapping his thigh
vigorously. "That's exactly what we'll do. But we'll have to wait till
the wagon gets here. The axes are all in the wagon."

"Mebby I'm particularly thick to-day, but I'd like to inquire how you
expect to get the outfit over, after you have the raft under it?"
demanded Shorty Savage. "Answer that, if you can?"

"I think that is up to the foreman," smiled Tad. "Were I doing it I
think I should hitch ropes to the tong