then, -- well, it was better to drown than to be torn to pieces
by dogs.

Just as Lightfoot felt that he could not take another stroke and
that the end was at hand, one foot touched something. Then, all
four feet touched. A second later he had found solid footing and
was standing with the water only up to his knees. He had found a
little sand bar out in the Big River. With a little gasp of
returning hope, Lightfoot waded along until the water began to
grow deeper again. He had hoped that he would be able to wade
ashore, but he saw now that he would have to swim again.

So for a long time he remained right where he was. He was so
tired that he trembled all over, and he was as frightened as he
was tired. He knew that standing out there in the water he could
be seen for a long distance, and that made him nervous and
fearful. Supposing a hunter on the shore he was trying to reach
should see him. Then he would have no chance at all, for the
hunter would simply wait for him and shoot him as he came out of
the water.

But rest he must, and so he stood for a long time on the little
sand bar in the Big River. And little by little he felt his
strength returning.



CHAPTER XXIII: Lightfoot Finds A Friend

As Lightfoot rested, trying to recover his breath, out there on