A STRANGE DELIVERANCE. 223 



looking downward, he perceived me, and, stretching 

 himself, sprang out into the channel. The next 

 moment I held him by the bridle. There was no 

 time to be lost ; I was still going down, and my 

 arm-pits were fast nearing the surface of the quick- 

 sand. I caught the lariat, and, passing it under 

 the saddle-girths, fastened it in a knot, tight and 

 firm. I then looped the trailing end, making it 

 secure around my body. I had left enough of the 

 rope between the bit-ring and the girths to enable 

 me to check and guide the animal, in case the drag 

 upon my body should be too painful. 



"All this while the dumb brute seemed to compre- 

 hend what I was about. He knew, too, the nature 

 of the ground on which he stood ; for, during the 

 operation, he kept lifting his feet alternately, to 

 prevent himself from sinking. My arrangements 

 were at length completed, and, with a feeling of 

 terrible anxiety, I gave my horse the signal to 

 move forward. Instead of going off with a start, 

 the intelligent creature stepped away slowly, as 

 though he understood my situation. The lariat 

 tightened ; I felt my body moving, and the next 

 moment experienced a wild delight, a feeling I 

 cannot describe, as I found myself dragged out of 

 the sand. I sprang to my feet with a shout of joy. 

 I rushed up to my steed, and throwing my arms 

 around his neck, embraced him with delight, lie 



