There was nothing! He could do no more!
He stood, outwardly calm, but with his heart dying within him as he watched Ben’s efforts to be brave as his last hope vanished.
“That’s right, dear old fellow,” said Bob, “keep up a brave heart! I’m sure that help will come! I’m sure! Oh, Ben, if we only had a rope!”
CHAPTER XII
OLD SAM TO THE RESCUE
As Bob stood there, desperately casting about in his mind for some way to help poor Ben, now up to his armpits in the black mud, he heard, or fancied he heard, a twig snap in the forest. Did that sound exist only in his imagination, or had he really heard it? While he was still in doubt, the underbrush parted, and he saw the best sight in the world for him just then. There, framed by the bushes, was the picturesque figure of Old Sam, the snake hunter, and in his hand he held his two-pronged snake pole.
At a glance he took in the situation and, springing forward lightly, extended the pole to Ben.
“Ketch a hold o’ the pole, an’ hang on to it, lad, an’ I’ll pull ye out! Got a good grip? That’s right—now steady! Never mind! Ye’ll keep it next time,” as the pole slipped from Ben’s nerveless fingers, and let him down a little deeper in the muck.
“Here, lad,” he said to Bob, “ketch on to this here and help me pull!” Then encouragingly to Ben, “Now ye got it? Hang on tight this time! Good boy! Now once more—steady—steady! Ye’re comin’, boy, ye’re comin’! Hang on another minnit and ye’ll be on solid groun’! Steady! Now—steady! There ye be!” he cried, exultingly, as they landed poor Ben, mud from head to foot, on the soft, dry grass, where he lay exhausted.
“It’s durn good I happened ’long jest as I did,” Old Sam hurried on to keep the boys from thanking him. “I nearly turned down t’other road for the village, but I sez to myself, ‘Sam, old boy, p’raps ye may meet some o’ them camp boys if ye goes by this here road,’ and so jest on the chanct o’ meetin’ ye, I come this way. I never reckoned I’d meet ye the way I done, though,” he added, chuckling to himself.
Here Ben, who had been trying desperately during this monologue to get a word in, thanked the old man heartily for the great service he had done him.