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12 CHILDREN OF THE SOUTH

pointed out to her the star in which direction they were
-and explained that over the mountain, where there
was no trail, they were scarcely fifteen miles away.
Electricity is fast, but not one-millionth part as fast
as thought. It all flashed through Juanita's brain in
an instant.
She must go. She must go over the mountain, and
warn the Americans, while the raiders ride around by
the trail.
She did not hesitate, the light of the Savior was in
her eyes.
She sprang up, but before her were two forms, and
one clutched her fiercely by the throat.
An enormous panther-like black body hurtled through
the air, and the two forms were stretched seemingly
lifeless upon the floor and the girl and the dog ran out
into the night-out under the moon and the stars, and
headed straight for that one star-which led to the base
of the mountain.
Why try to write of that journey that will be handed
down in mother's tales to their children, for generations
to come.
What looked like brush at a distance upon the moun-
tain side was a tangled mass of thick growth, high above
the head of this child. It stripped her few rags until she
was naked, cut, and bleeding. Her face was torn beyond
recognition. Still she struggled on blindly in the wake
of her powerful friend.
There were times when she would fall and moan in
utter exhaustion, but the giant dog would return and
lick the blood from her eyes. Her fingers would clutch
his hairy sides and they would go on again.
When the top of the mountain was reached she sank
to rise no more. Nature demanded her toll. It was
beyond human endurance. And the dog came and sat
beside her, and lifting his great head wailed forth his
dog prayer to the skies.