The Pony Rider Boys in Montana | Page 9

call to him to get Pink-eye or one of the
others saddled as soon as you can make him hear. We'll save time that
way. I'm afraid Bad-eye won't be able to make the return trip."
"Now grab for the rock," cried Tad.
Ned did so, but he missed it.
Tad still clinging to Chunky fastened his right hand in the broncho's
mane. All three of the boys were now clinging to the overburdened
animal. Ned began swimming to assist the pony, for he realized that
they had dropped back a few feet in taking on the extra weight.
"Work further back and get hold of the saddle," Ned directed.
Tad followed his instructions.
"I'm afraid he'll never make it," groaned Ned. "I----"
At that instant his hand came in violent contact with a hard, cold object.
It was the slender, pillar-like rock that Tad had been clinging to for so
long in the icy water.
"I've got it," exclaimed Ned.
He cast loose from Bad-eye and threw both arms about the rock. The
pony freed from a share of his burden, struck off up stream against the
current, making excellent headway.
"I don't like to do this," Tad called back. "I wouldn't, were it not for
Chunky. He couldn't have stood it there another minute."

"You can't help yourself now. How's the kid?" called Ned.
"He's all right now."
"Professor, are you up there?"
"Yes."
He had heard the dialogue between the boys, and understood well what
had been done.
"That was a brave thing to do, Master Ned."
"Thank you, Professor. Suppose you try to cast that rope to me. I'm
afraid I shall never be able to hold on here alone as long as Tad did.
B-r-r-r, but it's cold!" he shivered.
The Professor tried his hand at casting the lariat.
"Never touched me," said Ned, more to keep up his own spirits than
with the intent to speak slightingly of the Professor's effort.
"Take it up stream throw it out, then let it float down," suggested Ned.
Professor Zepplin did so, but the rope was found to be too short to
reach, and at Ned's direction, he made no further attempt.
Soon Ned heard some one shouting cheerily up the stream. It was Tad
Butler. He had dashed up to camp immediately upon reaching shore,
and the exercise restored his circulation. Walter, who was in camp had
Pink-eye ready and saddled for an emergency, and Tad mounting the
pony, forced him to take to the water. He was now returning to rescue
his brave friend, who was clinging to the rock. He had been unwilling
to trust the perilous trip to anyone else.
"I was afraid Walt would go over the falls, pony and all," he explained,
wheeling alongside Ned Rector and picking him up from the rock.
"I'll run a foot race with you when we get ashore," laughed Tad.

"Go you," answered Ned promptly. "The one who loses has to get up
and cook the breakfast."
CHAPTER IV
SURPRISED BY AN UNWELCOME VISITOR
"I'm sorry I was to blame for your going into the creek," apologized
Ned Rector, bending over the shivering Stacy.
"I fell in, didn't I?" grinned the fat boy.
"No, you rolled in. My, but that water was cold!"
"B-r-r-r!" shivered Stacy, as the recollection of his icy bath came back
to him. "Di--did you win the race?"
"Tad won it. I've got to get up and cook the breakfast, and it wasn't my
turn at all. It was Tad's turn."
"Yab-hum," yawned Stacy, "I'm awful sleepy."
"So am I," answered Ned, uttering a long-drawn yawn.
"See here, Master Ned. Get out of those wet pajamas, rub yourself
down thoroughly and put on a dry suit. I can't have you all sick on my
hands to-morrow," commanded the Professor.
"Don't worry about us," laughed Ned. "It takes more than a bath in a
cold creek to lay us up, eh, Tad?"
"I hope so," answered Tad Butler, who had rubbed himself until his
body glowed. "But I thought once or twice that I was a goner while I
was holding to that rock. I could not make Chunky try to support
himself at all. He just clung to me until he fagged me all out."
"Come now, young gentlemen, down with this coffee and into the
blankets."

Professor Zepplin had prepared the coffee, with which to warm the lads
up, and had heated in the camp-fire some good sized boulders, which
he wrapped in blankets and tucked in their beds. Chunky was the only
one of the boys who did not protest. Ned and Tad objected to being
"babied" as they called it, and when the Professor was not looking, they
quickly rolled the feet warmers out at the foot of their beds.
Early