I remembered the round firmness of her body in my
arms, the clasp of her hands about my neck, her hair blown across my
cheek, and I reflected that since fortune had elected me to be a
rescuer, it was not ill that so fair an object had been there for the
rescuing.
Perhaps she felt my gaze, for presently she turned and said to me, in as
pleasant a speaking voice as I had ever heard, "Indeed, it might be
worse. I thank you so much. It was very brave of you."
"Listen at that!" grunted Mandy McGovern. "What'd them men have to do
with it? Where'd you all be now if it wasn't for me?"
"You'd be much better off," I ventured, "if I hadn't done any rescuing
at all, and if we'd all stayed over there on the boat." I pointed to the
lights of the _River Belle_, lying on the opposite shore, something like
a mile above us.
"We're all right now," said old Auberry after a time. "If we can't get
across to the boat, it's only four or five miles up to the settlements
on this side, opposite the old Independence landing."
"I couldn't walk," said the girl. She shyly looked down at the edge of
her thin wrapper, and I saw the outline of an uncovered toe.
"Here, ma'am," said Auberry, unknotting from his neck a heavy bandana.
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