She came back along the naked and slippery trunk of the snag, pulling
herself along by her hands, her bare feet and limbs deep in the water
alongside. I could hear the sob of her intaken breath, and saw that she
trembled in fright.
"Come," I said, as she finally reached the mass of the roots. And more
dead than alive, it seemed to me, she fell once more into my arms. I
felt her grasp tighten about my neck, and her firm body crowd against me
as we both sank down for an instant. Then I caught my feet and
straightened, and was really the steadier for the added weight, as any
one knows who has waded in fast water. Little by little I edged up on
the bar, quite conscious of her very gracious weight, but sure we should
thus reach safety.
"Put me down," she said at length, as she saw the water shoaling. It was
hip deep to me, but waist deep to her; and I felt her shudder as she
caught its chill. Her little hand gripped tight to mine.
By this time the others had also descended from the snag. I saw old
Auberry plunging methodically along, at his side Mrs. McGovern, clasping
the hand of her son. "Come on here, you boy," she said. "What ye skeered
of? Tall as you air, you could wade the whole Missouri without your hair
gettin' wet.
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