together a raft or somethin'. 'Less we
can find us a boat."

But boats were not to be found, unless they were willing to risk
discovery by trying to cross near a well-settled district. And when
Captain Campbell joined them that afternoon he insisted on the need of
speed over a longer reconnaissance.

"The Yankees are closing in," he told the trio by the river. "If we try
to cross at a town, they'll have a point to center on. Rafts, yes, we
can try to build rafts--have to ferry over the men who can't swim, and
our gear. This is the time we must push--fast."

The remote section of bank which Drew had chosen became a scene of
activity as the company came in--a tight bunch--not long after Campbell.
The stragglers came later, pushing beat-out horses, one or two riding
double. They had no tools other than bowie knives, and their attempts at
raft-building were not only awkward but in the most cases futile. When
they did have a mat which would stick together after a fashion, they
were determined to put it to the test at once.

None of them had much practice in getting horses over such a wide body
of water, and there were a great many freely voiced suggestions
concerning the best methods.

Kirby stood watching the first attempt, his face blank of expression, a
sign Drew had come to recognize as the Texan's withdrawal from a
situation or action of which he did not approve. There were five men
squeezed together on the flimsy-looking raft and they had strung out
their mounts in a line, the head of one horse linked by leading rope to
the tail of the one before him.

"You don't think it's goin' to work?" Drew asked Kirby.

The Texan shrugged. "Maybe, only hosses don't think like men. An' a
lotta hosses don't take kindly to gittin' wheah theah ain't no footin'.
Me, I want to see a little more, 'fore I roll out--"

Kirby's misgivings were amply justified. For that first voyage was
doomed to a tragic and speedy end. The second horse in line, losing
footing as the river bed fell away beneath him, reared in fright, caught
his forefeet over the rope linking him to his fellow, and so jerked his
head underwater by his own frenzied struggles. Before the men on the
wildly dipping raft were able to cut the now fright-maddened animals
loose, three in that string had drowned themselves by their uncontrolled
plunges, and the others were being dragged under.

Boyd dived from the upper bank before Drew could stop him. It was
madness to g