Suddenly Barney gave a yell, floundered about for a moment, and seemed to be drawn by some irresistible power downward into the ground.
He sank to his hips in a jiffy in the clear sand, and seemed likely to sink much deeper.
In an instant both Barney and Pomp realized the serious truth.
Barney had inadvertently jumped into a prairie quicksand.
The treacherous sand had closed over him with a vise-like grip, and was every moment drawing him deeper.
Of course to be drawn to the depths of the fatal quicksand meant death.
At once all thoughts of fooling left the minds of both.
Pomp forgot the trick played upon him, and saw only that Barney was in most imminent danger of his life.
At once the darky sought steps to relieve his companion.
“Golly sakes! what am de mattah, I’ish?” cried Pomp, in alarm, halting on the verge of the bed of quicksand.