Three turned at once but the youngster launched himself at Luke's
throat where he stood breast-high in the glassing current. The slave
caught the dog's whole windpipe in both hands and went with him under
the flood. Hardy's supreme care for Charmer had lost him the strategic
moment, but he fired straight at Rebecca.

She did not fall and his weapon flew up for a second shot! but by some
sheer luck I knocked the pistol spinning yards away into the river.
While it spun I saw other things: Rebecca clasping a wounded arm; Luke
and the dog reappearing apart, the dog about to repeat his onset; and
Hardy dumb with rage.

"Call the puppy!" I cried, "you'll save him yet."

The master winded his horn, and the dog swam our way. At the same time
his fellows came about us, while on the farther bank Luke helped his
wife writhe up through the waterside vines, and with her disappeared.
Only Euonymus remained in the water, at the far edge of the gravel-bar.

I was so happy that I laughed. "All right," I cried, "I'll pay for the
revolver."

Foul epithets were Hardy's reply while he spurred madly to and fro in
search of an opening in the vines to let his horse down into the
stream. I rode with him, knee to knee. "You'll pay for this with your
life !" he yelled down my throat. "I'll kill you, so help me God!
_Charmer! Dandy! go, take the nigger!_"

The whole baying pack darted off for Euonymus's crossing. "_Take the
nigger, Charmer! Ah! take him, my lady!_" We saw that Euonymus could