horses and headed down the trail to the Stevens
place. Thurston would have put Sunfish to a run, but Park checked him.

"Go easy," he admonished. "If there's swimming to be done and it's a
cinch there will be, he's going to need all the wind he's got."

Down the hill they stopped at the edge of a raging torrent and strained
their eyes to see what lay on the other side. While they looked, a
light twinkled out from among the tree-tops. Thurston caught his breath
sharply.

"She's upstairs," he said, and his voice sounded strained and unnatural.
"It's just a loft where they store stuff." He started to ride into the
flood.

"Come on back here, yuh chump!" Park roared. "Get off and loosen the
cinch before yuh go in there, or yuh won't get far. Sunfish'll need
room to breathe, once he gets to bucking that current. He's a good water
horse, just give him his head and don't get rattled and interfere with
him. And we've got to go up a ways before we start in."

He led the way upstream, skirting under the bluff, and Thurston, chafing
against the delay, followed obediently. Trees were racing down, their
clean-washed roots reaching up in a tangle from the water, their
branches waving like imploring arms. A black, tar-papered shack went
scudding past, lodged upon a ridge where the water was shallower, and
sat there swaying drunkenly. Upon it a great yellow cat clung and yowled
his fear.

"That's old Dutch Henry's house," Park shouted above the roar. "I'll bet
he's cussing things blue on some pinnacle up there." He laughed at the
picture his imagination conjured, and rode out into the swirl.

Thurston kept close behind, mindful of Park's command to give Sunfish
his head. Sunfish had carried him safely out of the stampede and he had
no fear of him now.

His chief thought was a wish that he might do this thing quite alone.
He was jealous of Park's leading, and thought bitterly that Mona would
thank Park alone and pass him by with scant praise and he did so want
to vindicate himself. The next minute he was cursing his damnable
selfishness. A tree had swept down just before him, caught Park and his
horse in its branches and hurried on as if ashamed of what it had done.
Thurston, in that instant, came near jerking Sunfish around to follow;
but he checked the impulse as it was formed and left the reins alone
which was wise. He could not have helped Park, and he could very easily
have drowned himself. Though it was not thought of hi