Kneeling by the side of her friend, who was pale and motionless, Virginia pleaded: “Megsy, Megsy, darling. Open your eyes and speak to me. Are you hurt?” But there was no response.
“Oh, why did I permit her to ride Comrade?” Virginia rebuked herself, as she held the limp girl in her arms and tried to revive her by rubbing her hands and forehead, but still there was no sign of life. Rising, she went to the edge of the well, but the little water that was in it was covered with a green scum. What could she do? If only she could send to Slater’s for help, but she must not go herself and leave Margaret alone. She would have to send Star. It was their one hope. Going to the waiting pony, Virginia tied her bright red hair ribbon on the saddle horn and started him in the direction of the nearest ranch, but to her despair, she saw the pony wander toward a clump of wiry grass and stop to graze.
At that moment, although Virginia had no way of knowing it, help was not far away.
It seemed hours to Virginia, but in reality not many minutes had passed when she heard a galloping of what seemed like the feet of many horses. Leaping from the sand where she had been kneeling beside Margaret the girl stood waiting for she knew not what. The sound came from beyond a small sand hill. It might be a stampede of little wild burros, she thought, but how she did hope that this surmise was wrong, as indeed it was, for in another moment three horses appeared and the one in the lead was ridden by the Slater cow-boy known as “Slick Cy.” Meekly following were the now quieted Comrade and Star.
Virginia scarcely knowing what she did in her great joy and relief, ran to meet the cow-boy with arms outstretched. “Oh, Cy! Cy!” she half sobbed, “I’m so glad you have come. Margaret has been thrown and she lies as still as though she were dead, and yet I know that she isn’t, for her heart is beating, but I can’t revive her. I’ll never go anywhere again without my canteen. Cy, what shall we do?”
The bronzed, broad-shouldered cow-boy dismounted, and, looking kindly at the almost hysterical girl, he said comfortingly, “Ah reckon ah wouldn’t worry yet, Miss Virginia. If her heart’s a-goin’ ah reckon she’ll be all right.”
Taking a canteen from his saddle the cow-boy forced water between the lips of the girl while Virginia bathed her face, and soon to the joy of the watchers, Margaret opened her eyes. Then she reached out her hand to her friend as she said faintly, “It was all mv fault, Virginia, dear. I should have told you that I did not know how to ride, really. I had never been on a horse, except one that nothing could frighten, but you are such a fine horsewoman I thought you might think me a coward if I told you that I was really afraid to ride Comrade, but I’ll never ride him again, never, never, never.”
Virginia’s heart leaped with joy, for after all she would not have to give up the horse she so loved, the one her dear father had given her for her very, very own.
“Star is far more gentle,” she said, as she and Cy assisted Margaret to her feet, then remembering her manners, she added, “Margaret, permit me to introduce Slick Cy. He is one of Mr. Slater’s cow-boys.”
Impulsively Margaret held out her hand as she said graciously, “Thank you, Mr. Slick Cy, for coming to my rescue.”