with a jerk around his waist.

Two monsters seemed to be trying to tear him in two. A savage wrench
of pain went through him jaggedly. At short intervals this was
repeated.

In spite of the suction of the muddy sand he felt its clutch giving
way. It loosened a little here, a little there. His body began to
move. After a long tug he came out at last with a rush. But he left
his high cowpuncher's boots behind. They remained buried out of sight
in the sand. He had literally been dragged out of them.

Roy felt himself pulled shoreward. From across the quicksands came
Charlton's whoop of triumph. Presently Beulah was stooping over him
with tender little cries of woe and joy.

He looked at her with a wan, tired smile. "I didn't think you'd make
it in time." In a moment he added: "I was horribly afraid. God, it
was awful!"

"Of course. Who wouldn't have been?" She dismissed his confession as
of no importance. "But it's all over now. I want to hug you tight to
make sure you're here, boy."

"There's no law against it," he said with feeble humor.

"No, but--" With a queer little laugh she glanced across the river
toward her former lover. "I don't think I had better."

Charlton joined them a few minutes later. He went straight to Roy and
offered his hand.

"The feud stuff is off, Mr. Beaudry. Beulah will tell you that I
started in to make you trouble. Well, there's nothing doing in that
line. I can't fight the man who saved my life at the risk of his own."

"Oh, well!" Roy blushed. "I just threw you a rope."

"You bogged down some," Charlton returned dryly. "I've known men who
would have thought several times before throwing that rope from where
you did. They would have hated to lose their boots."

Beulah's eyes shone. "Oh, Brad, I'm so glad. I do want you two to be
friends."

"Do you?" As he looked at her, the eyes of the young hillman softened.
He guessed pretty accurately the state of her feelings. Beaudry had
won and he had lost. Well, he was going to be a good loser this time.
"What you want goes with me this time, Boots. The way you yanked me
out of the sinks was painful, but thorough. I'll be a friend to Mr.
Beaudry if he is of the same opinion as you. And I'll dance at his
wedding when it comes off."

She cried out at that, but Charlton noticed that she made no denial.
Neither did Roy. He confined his remarks to the previous question, and
said that he would be very glad