ossible, he looked
anxiously around for the second rider. Not a sign of him was seen from
the place where Jeb clung.

Believing that one live man was worth two dead ones, Jeb returned to the
task of unearthing the one he had found. Every slab of shale was slowly
removed, meanwhile Jeb watched the loose sides above him for the least
intimation that it might slide again. But so careful was he, that the
body was uncovered without the surrounding shale being disturbed. Jeb
felt of the man's heart and found a very slight pulsation there. He was
alive!

But how to get his feet free from the leather on the horse, and how to
carry the big heavy fellow up that treacherous side? Jeb never lost his
presence of mind, nor did he ever feel unduly excited over what he
thought could not be helped; had he known what a fatalist was, he would
have told you that that is what _he_ was.

He sat perfectly still, because the unwary movement of a single muscle
might move that mountain-side down upon him, but he could _think_ and
what could hinder him from doing it? As if the very discovery that he
was superior in that way, to the senseless shale all about him, made him
master of the situation, so he smiled and patiently waited.

"'Cuz Ah knows Polly and Miss Nolla'll get word to Mis'r Brews'er an'
he'll know what to do fer us." So he sat and waited.

It's all well enough to say, "Oh, he wouldn't do anything else. Any one
could have waited!" But how many would have waited in that same
situation, without a qualm of fear, or without doubting the simple
assurance that the master of the ranch would know best what to do to
help?

As if to reward this faith, Jeb soon heard voices shouting back and
forth above his head, and after a time, he saw the noose of a stout rope
falling down in his direction.

He grinned. "Ah never thought of _that_!" murmured he.

"Jeb," came the deep tones of Mr. Brewster from above, "try to fix this
safely around you, and then see if there is anything down there that you
can do. Shout up if you want help, and we will try to let another man
down to work with you."

Jeb soon had the rope about his body, and feeling free to dig, went to
work to pull the unconscious man out of the saddle. The side that the
dead horse had fallen upon pinned the man's one leg down so securely
that Jeb could not manage to extricate it without help. So he held on
to the body he had thus far brought out from the shale, and then called
up