Suddenly, upon hearing an unusual noise, Joe glanced around, and then gasped in apprehension.
“One of the mules is stuck in mud!” he cried. “Quick! We must do something at once!”
Without delay the old man turned about, walked back to one of the pack animals, and secured a long heavy rope. Then he moved on to the rear of the line, where one of the mules was struggling to free itself from the black bog.
“Bob, you had better come to the rescue,” he said, after a moment of pondering. “You’re pretty good at lassoing, as you showed us several days ago on that narrow ledge. Won’t you try it and see what you can do?”
“Where will I throw the rope, over the mule’s head?”
“Yes. Tighten it around the animal’s neck.”
“But—won’t it choke?”
“Not for a few minutes. There is no other way to pull the mule out. If we go too close we’ll get caught ourselves.”
“All right, then. Here goes.”