struggles. Johnston had by dint of heroic exertion managed to withdraw
his leg a little from underneath the heavy jumper; but he could not free
himself altogether, so that had the wolves found out how completely both
horse and man were in their power, they would have made short work of
both. Fortunately, by vigorous shouting and wild waving of his arms, the
foreman had been able to keep the cowardly creatures at bay long enough
to allow the rescuing party to reach him. But he could not have kept up
many minutes more, and if strength and voice had entirely forsaken him
the dreadful end would soon have followed.

Handling the injured man with a tenderness and care one would hardly have
looked for in such rough fellows, the lumbermen after no small exertion
got him up out of the gully and laid him upon the sleigh in the road.
Then the horse was released from the jumper, and, being coaxed to his
feet, led down the gully to where the sides were not so steep and he
could scramble up, while the jumper itself was left behind to be
recovered when they had more time to spare.

Before they started off for the shanty one of the men had the curiosity
to cross the gully and examine the bridge where it broke, in order to
find out the cause of the accident. When he returned there was a strange
expression on his face, which added to the curiosity of the others who
were awaiting his report.

"Both stringers are sawed near through!" he exclaimed. "And it's not been
done long, either. Must have been done to-day, for the sawdust's lying
round still."

The men looked at one another in amazement and horror. The stringers
sawed through! What scoundrel could have done such a thing? Who was the