from the saddle without
slackening speed, and snatched one almost from under the very hoofs of
the leaders.

The danger was not past. As the horses swerved and went forward with the
rush Helen knew that a stumble would fling not only her and the man who
had saved her, but also the horse down to death. They must contrive
to hold their own in that deadly rush until a way could be found of
escaping from the path of the living cyclone that trod at their heels,
galloped beside them, in front, behind.

For it came to her that the horse was tiring in that rush through the
sand with double weight upon its back.

"Courage!" cried the man behind her as her fearful eyes met his.

As he spoke they reached the end of the canyon and firm ground
simultaneously. Helen saw that her rescuer had now a revolver in his
hand, and that he was firing in such a way as to deflect the leaders
to the left. At first the change in course was hardly perceptible, but
presently she noticed that they were getting closer to the outskirts of
the herd, working gradually to the extreme right, edging inch by inch,
ever so warily, toward safety. Going parallel to their course,
running neck and neck with the cow pony, lumbered a great dun steer.
Unconsciously it blocked every effort of the horseman to escape. He had
one shot left in his revolver, and this time he did not fire into the
air. It was a mighty risk, for the animal in falling might stagger
against the horse and hunt them all down to death. But the man took it
without apparent hesitation. Into the ear of the bullock he sent the
lead crashing. The brute stumbled and went down head over heels. Its
flying hoofs struck the flanks of the pony, but the bronco stuck to its
feet, and next moment staggered out from among the herd stragglers and
came to halt.

The man slid from its back and lifted down the half-fainting girl. She
clung to him, white a trembling. "Oh, it was horrible, Ned!" She could
still look down in imagination upon the sea of dun backs that swayed and
surged about them like storm-tossed waves.

"It was a near thing, but we made it, girl. So did Jim. He got out
before we did. It's all past now. You can remember it as the most
exciting experience of your life."

She shuddered. "I don't want to remember it at all." And so shaken was
she that she did not realize that his arm was about her the while she
sobbed on his shoulder.

"A cattle stampede is a nasty thing to get in front of. Ne