CHAPTER XLIII.
A FRIGHTFUL PERIL.
Not a sound came from the lips of our hero as his horse went plunginginto the chasm, although, in the moment when he went over the brink, theboy fully expected to be dashed to death in the dark depths below.
He saw Big Gabe leap to clutch him, but realized that the giant was toolate.
In that fateful moment Frank cleared his feet from the stirrups and madea desperate effort to save himself.
Too late!
All he could do was to clutch at the high pommel of the Mexican saddle,to which he clung tenaciously.
A wild, half human scream of terror came from the throat of the horse.
"Whoa up, thar!" roared the giant, as he made a clutch at the horse.
By rare good fortune the man clutched the flowing tail of the animalfairly and firmly. His heels settled into a rift of the rocks, and hesurged backward.
Over went the horse, dangling, head downward, above the terrible chasm,while the giant held it thus by clinging to the creature's tail!
And our hero held fast to the Mexican saddle!
Frank was amazed when he found the horse was not going downward, and,being unable to see the big man, he wondered what held the animalsuspended in the air.
In a moment the man above cried:
"Are you gone, boy? Are yer done fer, youngster?"
"No," replied Frank, with sudden hope. "I am hanging to the saddle.Drop a rope to me, and pull me up--quick, before the horse falls!"
"Can't do it."
"Why not?"
"I'm holdin' ther critter by ther tail, an', burn me, ef yer both won'tgo to ther bottom ef I leggo!"
Then the boy realized what had saved him, impossible as it seemed, andhe marveled at the astonishing strength of the strange giant who hadbeen sent to Lake Tahoe to die of consumption.
"But he can't hold out long!" thought the lad. "He must give up in amoment, and then we'll go down to death!"
It was not a pleasant thought, and still Frank was not terrified. Hewondered at his own coolness. He speculated on the length of time theywould be falling. Would he be conscious when they struck, or would thefall rob him of his senses?
He looked down. Far below, ragged points of rocks jutted out from thechasm wall, seeming to beckon to him. They would bruise and tear him,and it seemed that they were awaiting, with impatience, for him to fall.
He could not see the bottom of the chasm!
"It is sure death!"
Without knowing that he did so, he uttered the words aloud.
"Not ef I kin hold on a little longer, boy."
The giant had heard him and made reply, much to his surprise, for he hadseemed to forget that Blake was holding him from falling.
Then he marveled more than ever at the strength of the man, for it beganto seem that he had been suspended thus many hours. Surely Gabriel Blakepossessed supernatural prowess.
Something like a laugh came from the boy's lips.
"It is foolish to try to hold on longer," he said, a bit wildly. "Letgo, before you, too, are dragged over to death."
"Hyar, hyar!" called the man from above. "Don't git nutty, boy! I kinhold yer some time yit."
Still Frank was sure it was all folly; it could only end in one way.
"I must fall at last!"
The giant heard these hoarsely muttered words, and he feared the boywould let go.
And now Bart Hodge and the two men had become aware of Frank's peril,and they were spurring their horses madly forward, having reached thetop of the climb.
The giant saw them coming, and it gave him new strength.
"Hold fast, down thar, youngster!" Big Gabe shouted to Frank. "Thar'shelp comin' hot-foot an' hustlin'. We'll hev yer out uv thar in twoshakes, brand me deep ef we don't!"
Still, Frank did not dare to hope. Once or twice it seemed that thehorse, wild-eyed and snorting with terror, slipped a bit, and the boyfancied Gabe was losing his grip.
It was a fearful strain on the giant, but he held fast as if his ownlife depended on it. The cords stood out on his neck and forehead, andperspiration rolled down his face. He could hear his own heart thumpinglike a hammer in his breast.
The sheriff, Sile Jones and Bart Hodge came tearing up to the spot,flung their horses back with a surge at the bit, and leaped to theground.
In a moment Jones had leaped to the side of Big Gabe and obtained a holdon the tail of the horse, relieving the giant a bit.
A lariat dangled from the sheriff's saddle, and this he had freed beforehe brought his horse to a halt. With it in his hand, he sprang to theground and leaped toward the brink of the chasm, on which Bart wasalready kneeling.
"Hang on, old boy!" breathed the dark-haired lad. "The horse will notfall now. You are all right. We will have you out of that in a moment."
Frank looked up and saw Bart peering down. The sight of his friend'sface gave the imperiled lad new hope.
"It's all right, if you say so, partner," he said, coolly. "But I don'tcare how quick you get me out of this."
Jack Long reached the brink of the chasm, lariat in hand.
"Say," he cried, "whatever are you trying to do, boy? Think you can slipme this way? Not much!"
He ended with a reassuring laugh, which was meant to encourage Frank. Ina moment the rope was lowered, and the end dangled close by the boy.
"Catch hold!" cried the sheriff.
Frank did so, first getting a firm hold with one hand, and then with theother. By the time he had hold of the lariat Bart was ready to pull withLong.
"All right!" shouted Frank. "Lift away, up there."
They did so, carefully lifting him over the edge of the ledge, so hishold would not be broken, and he was drawn safely to the solid ground.
Some boys would have been completely overcome and unmanned by such aclose call, but such was not the case with Frank. The moment all perilwas past for him, he exclaimed:
"Save the horse!"
"Don't know as we can," said the sheriff, breathing heavily. "We'll tryit. If we can get the beast up without strangling it we'll be deadlucky."
Long was skillful with the lariat, and he dropped the noose over thehorse's head with a wide sweep. He did not draw it tight till the timecame, and that was when every man and boy were ready to lift to theextent of their strength.
"Heave!" shouted Big Gabe, in a stentorian tone.
After a desperate struggle they dragged the horse up over the brink, butthe unfortunate creature was more dead than alive, and nearly an hourpassed before it recovered.