CHAPTER II.--A DARING ACT.
Night came on, and still the three--a man, a woman and a younggirl--stood ankle deep in the cold water, which showed no sign ofreceding.
Mrs. Henderson was completely worn out. At Shirley's suggestion,Henderson placed her upon the back of the horse, where she was at leastdry.
"There is no telling how long we may have to remain here," saidHenderson. "The water may not go down before morning."
"But," said Shirley, "we cannot remain here that long. We must dosomething."
"What?" asked Henderson briefly.
"Well, we might try shouting," said Shirley. "Some one might hear us."
They both raised their voices to their loudest and shouted long andoften. But no reply came.
Shirley glanced carefully about her in the dim light. They stood on thevery top of the little hill, and all about them was water. Perhaps aquarter of a mile to the right, however, was another elevation, and thisShirley knew was not merely a similar hill, but high ground that ranback for miles--the land upon which all those in the flooded valley hadsought safety.
"I have a plan," she said quietly to Henderson.
"What is it?" he asked eagerly.
"It's very simple," was the reply. "I shall mount the horse, and weshall try and swim through the short expanse of water to the dry groundover there," and she pointed across the flood.
Henderson started back aghast at the boldness of this plan. Beneath themthe water still swished angrily, although it had lost much of its force.
"I'll not hear of it," he said shortly. "You shall not risk your life."
"But," protested the girl, "we are all likely to become numbed andperish here."
She shivered slightly as she spoke, for the night air was damp, cold andpenetrating.
"I think it is the best way," she added quietly. "Besides, what dangeris there? Hero," she named the horse in that moment, "can make it allright. All I shall have to do is cling to him tightly."
"But the current may be very strong," protested Henderson.
"Not too strong for us, is it, Hero?" she asked the horse, and pattedhim gently again.
Hero whinnied in reply, and seemed as eager as the girl to make thetrial. He seemed to understand the conversation, and besides, he wasanxious to reach a place where there was warmth, dry straw and goodoats.
"Yes, it is the best way," said Shirley decisively.
Henderson looked at her closely, then turned away with a sigh, for thatone glance was enough to tell him that the young girl would have herway.
He lifted his wife from Hero's back, and Shirley immediately climbedinto the saddle.
"I'll send a boat for you," Shirley called over her shoulder, as, with atug of the reins, she headed Hero into the water.
"Good luck!" called Henderson. "Keep your head, and hold tight. Don't beswept off the horse's back."
Shirley did not reply, but kept her eyes straight ahead.
Gradually Hero sank lower and lower into the water, and then went undersuddenly. His feet no longer touched the bottom.
Henderson and his wife cried out in alarm as horse and girl sank beneaththe water; but they rose again in a moment, and, shaking the water fromhis eyes with an angry snort, Hero struck out boldly for the distantshore.
The current was still strong and gradually bore them down the valley.But Hero made headway, and every stroke of his mighty legs bore themmuch nearer safety.
Now darkness, thick and intense, descended over the valley, and neitherhorse nor rider could see five yards ahead. But neither lost heart, Heroplunging straight ahead and Shirley clinging tightly to his neck anduttering low words of encouragement.
For a long, long time, as it seemed to both horse and rider, theycontinued their cold and wet journey; then, abruptly, Hero's feet struckthe rising ground of the high land. A moment later he stood on all feet,the water up to his knees, but with solid ground beneath him. Quickly hedrew himself free of the water, and Shirley, soaking wet, and crampedfrom the one position she had been forced to maintain, jumped stiffly tothe ground.
She threw her arms around the horse's neck, and gave him a great hug.
"Good old Hero!" she exclaimed. "I knew you would bring us over safely.Now to find some one and send them after the Hendersons."
She walked quickly along in the darkness, Hero following her like a dog.
At last, in the distance, she made out a dim light and hurried on towardit. Soon she was close enough to make out that she was approaching alittle house, through a window of which the light twinkled. She brokeinto a run, and without stopping to knock, dashed inside.
A man and a woman rose to their feet, and Shirley was also conscious ofother figures in the room.
A pain shot through her head, she reeled dizzily and toppled over in adead faint; but before she lost consciousness she heard a voice thatsounded many miles away exclaim:
"Why, Shirley Willing! What are you doing here, and in this condition?"
When Shirley recovered consciousness she lay upon a little bed, andseveral figures were bending over her. One she recognized in a moment,and addressed it in a low voice and with a smile on her face.
"Mabel!" she exclaimed. "Where am I and what is the matter with me?"
But before the other could reply, the thrilling experience she had beenthrough came back to her like a flash; and springing from the bed,unmindful of the sharp pain that shot through her head, she exclaimed:
"The Hendersons! Quick! Have you a boat?"
"There, there," said the girl whom she had addressed as Mabel. "You area little overwrought. Lie down again, dearie."
Shirley shook off the other's hand.
"The Hendersons," she explained, "are marooned on a little hill in themidst of the raging flood. They must be helped quickly. Mrs. Hendersonis ill and unless she is given shelter at once may die from exposure."
Immediately all in the room began to ask questions, but Shirley, raisinga hand, stopped them. Then, briefly, she explained the situation.
The men in the room leaped to their feet and dashed out of the house.Shirley ran after them.
"You may not be able to find the place in the dark," she said, "but Ithink I can show you the way. My sense of direction has always beengood."
In spite of the protests of the others, she went with the men while theyhauled a large rowboat out of a nearby shed and dragged it to thewater's edge.
Here, launching it, they all climbed in. Shirley would have followed,but one man objected.
"You are worn out now," he said. "You had better get to bed."
But Shirley was not to be denied.
"This is my adventure," she said warmly, "and besides, I can probablyhelp you locate the Hendersons. My eyes are unusually sharp."
She stepped into the boat in spite of all protests, and soon, under thestrong arms of the men, the little craft leaped out over the water.
It was pitch dark, and almost impossible for the occupants of the boatto see their hands before them. A lantern in the prow of the boat onlyseemed to make the darkness more intense.
After half an hour's rowing the men rested on their oars and listened.There was no sound. They rowed for perhaps another quarter of an hour,and again paused to listen. Just as they were about to go on again,Shirley's ears caught the sound of a distant hail.
"Listen!" she cried, and all sat silently.
The hail came again, but at first those in the boat were unable to tellfrom what direction. They listened and it came again.
"Back and to the right," said Shirley. "We must have passed them in thedarkness."
The boat was brought about and headed in the direction Shirleyindicated; and still there was no sign of the Hendersons. But the nexthail was clearer, and much closer.
"Come straight ahead!" came the cry over the flood.
The rowers now followed the directions shouted across the water, andafter what seemed a very long time, made out, directly ahead, the figureof a man and a woman, huddled cl
ose together to keep warm. It wasHenderson and his wife.
Once inside the boat, Mrs. Henderson promptly fainted. Shirley liftedthe unconscious woman's head into her lap and bathed her face withwater, and she soon revived.
The boat made rapid progress on the return journey and soon all were inthe warm enclosure of the little house. Mrs. Henderson was promptly putto bed, but Shirley had something else to do.
Calling one of the men to follow her, she left the house and, after somesearching, came upon what she sought.
This was Hero standing at the door of the little stable, nosing it andtrying his best to get in. Shirley turned to her companions.
"This," she said, stroking the animal's wet mane, "is the one you allhave to thank for your escape from the flood. Had it not been for Hero,I would have been unable to give the warning, and now it seems to me heis entitled to a nice warm stall and some nice fresh oats. Would youlike them, Hero?"
The horse whinnied in joy, and one of the men said:
"He certainly shall have both."
He approached and took the animal by the bridle, but Hero drew back.
"Maybe you can lead him," said the man. "He won't come for me."
Shirley laughed. "Come, Hero!" she called and without leading hefollowed her into the stable, where he was escorted to a clean stall.
"And now you go to bed," said one of the men to Shirley.
"I'll stay and see him fed first," replied the girl.
"All right, have your own way!"
He produced the oats, and soon Hero was nosing and eating themcontentedly.
Then, and not until then, did Shirley return to the house. Throwing offher wet garments, she crept into bed when, tired and worn out, sheclosed her eyes and slept.