That much of him, and the
slender forelegs, was clear of the water. But had he not brought a
dead thing to land?
He bent his cheek to the nostrils of Alcatraz, but he felt no breath.
He came reeling to his knees and slid his hand beneath the water to
the heart of the horse; he felt no reassuring throb. Yet he could not
be sure that the end was indeed come, for the blood raged and surged
through his brain and waves of violent trembling passed over him so
that his sense of touch might well belie the truth. How long had he
lain unconscious--a minute or an hour?
At least, he must try to get the body farther ashore. Alas, his
strength hardly sufficed now to raise the head alone and when he made
his effort his legs crumpled beneath him. There he sat with the head
of Alcatraz in his lap--he the hunter and this the hunted!
There was small measure of religion in Red Perris but now, in
helplessness, he raised his trembling hands to the stormy grey of the
sky above him.
"God A'mighty," said Red Perris, "I sure ain't done much to make
You listen to me, but I got this to say: that if they's a call for
something to die right now it ain't the hoss that's to blame.
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