It came to him that if he was to reach the mainland he must swim for it. He breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the keen air. “My powers of recuperation are extraordinary, to say the least,” he laughed. “Good thing I found that porcupine! All right--camera ready? The boy hero will attempt to swim the terrible rapids--only they’re more like a lake now. But we’ll call ’em rapids to make it look harder.” He removed his outer clothing and waded in. The opposite shore seemed much nearer now, probably because the water had receded. At all events, he struck out with a will and arrived on the bank not at all exhausted. As he left the water he thought of the spectacle he must present, with the wounds on his shoulder and arm still showing plainly and dressed in a soggy suit of underwear. He burst into a loud laugh. “Come, take a snapshot!” he exclaimed. “Having a wonderful time! Wish you were here! The bathing is great!” “Roy!” He turned his face alight with expectation. “Roy! Oh, golly, it’s Roy!” From the bushes leaped three figures--three happy, excited, capering figures. “Teddy! And Pop and Bug Eye! The reception committee! The lost mariners! Well, you old marmadukes!” Tears stood in Teddy’s eyes as he clasped his brother’s hand. Frank, honest tears, and Teddy was not ashamed of them. “Roy--” he said brokenly, “we thought you were--” “We thought you was lost!” Bug Eye finished, with a side glance at Pop. “Snakes, we been lookin’ all over creation for yuh!” “Son,” Pop said simply, holding out his hand, “I’m glad to see yuh. Mighty glad. We been worried.” “You’re hurt, Roy!” Teddy exclaimed, as he noticed for the first time the cuts on the boy’s arm and shoulder. “How did you get those?” “It’s a long story, me lad,” Roy answered, smiling. He threw his arm about his brother’s shoulders. “But first, if you don’t mind, I’ll eat! The last meal I had was roast porcupine!” CHAPTER XVIII Afloat Again Back to camp tramped these two brothers, the one in a torn suit of underwear, the other fully dressed, but both wearing wide grins. They were both happy--recklessly so. All things dwindled into insignificance except the fact that they were together again--together, after a night of terror. The cattle of Whirlpool River Ranch--The Pup--the reported landslide--all these were for the moment forgotten. They would return later, with their responsibilities. But now, for Teddy and Roy, there was happiness where they had feared to find sorrow. Their tremendous relief was not the sort that is communicated by words. A firm handclasp, an arm thrown carelessly around the shoulders, speaks louder than any well-turned sentence. Thus it was that on that journey back to their camp there was little said besides Pop’s interminable: “Snakes!” and Roy’s: “I’ll tell a maverick!” whenever Teddy made a statement.