to go!" gasped the young chief engineer, setting spurs to his horse.

In a few moments Tom had reached the edge of the sink.

"A rope!" he shouted, and seized the thirty-foot lariat that was handed
him. With this, Tom, now on foot, ran within casting distance of the
unfortunate, who was being rapidly enveloped by the quicksand.

"Come back, Mr. Reade!" bellowed Foreman Payson. "The drift is setting
in on this side of you. Back, like lightning, or you're a doomed man!
You'll be swallowed up by the Man-killer yourself!"

But Tom, intent only on saving the unfortunate laborer beyond, was
wholly heedless of the fact that his own life was in as great danger.




CHAPTER X

HARRY FIGHTS FOR COMMAND


"Come back, Mr. Reade!" implored Foreman Payson.

For Tom, who had made two casts with the lariat and failed, was knee-
deep in shifting sand himself.

"Keep cool!" the young chief engineer called over his shoulder. "I'll
be back--both of us in a minute or two."