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It
is
true
he
could
have
done
nothing
,
and
he
knew
it
.
He
had
exhausted
his
advocacy
;
and
any
further
interference
on
his
part
would
have
been
an
idle
effort
,
or
only
to
aggravate
the
accusers
.
It
was
but
slight
disloyalty
that
he
should
think
of
saving
himself
--
a
mere
instinct
of
self-preservation
--
to
which
he
seemed
yielding
,
as
he
stole
off
among
the
trees
.
So
one
would
have
conjectured
.
But
the
conjecture
would
not
have
done
justice
to
him
of
Connemara
.
In
his
flight
the
faithful
servant
had
no
design
to
forsake
his
master
--
much
less
leave
him
to
his
fate
,
without
making
one
more
effort
to
effect
his
delivery
from
the
human
bloodhounds
who
had
hold
of
him
.
He
knew
he
could
do
nothing
of
himself
.
His
hope
lay
in
summoning
Zeb
Stump
,
and
it
was
to
sound
that
signal
--
which
had
proved
so
effective
before
--
that
he
was
now
stealing
off
from
the
scene
,
alike
of
trial
and
execution
.
On
getting
beyond
the
selvedge
of
the
throng
,
he
had
glided
in
among
the
trees
;
and
keeping
these
between
him
and
the
angry
crowd
,
he
ran
on
toward
the
spot
where
the
old
mare
still
grazed
upon
her
tether
.
The
other
horses
standing
"
hitched
"
to
the
twigs
,
formed
a
tolerably
compact
tier
all
round
the
edge
of
the
timber
.
This
aided
in
screening
his
movements
from
observation
,
so
that
he
had
arrived
by
the
side
of
the
mare
,
without
being
seen
by
any
one
.
Just
then
he
discovered
that
he
had
come
without
the
apparatus
necessary
to
carry
out
his
design
.
The
cactus
branch
had
been
dropped
where
he
was
first
captured
,
and
was
still
kicking
about
among
the
feet
of
his
captors
.
He
could
not
get
hold
of
it
,
without
exposing
himself
to
a
fresh
seizure
,
and
this
would
hinder
him
from
effecting
the
desired
end
.
He
had
no
knife
--
no
weapon
of
any
kind
--
wherewith
he
might
procure
another
nopal
.
He
paused
,
in
painful
uncertainty
as
to
what
he
should
do
.
Only
for
an
instant
.
There
was
no
time
to
be
lost
.
His
master
's
life
was
in
imminent
peril
,
menaced
at
every
moment
.
No
sacrifice
would
be
too
great
to
save
him
;
and
with
this
thought
the
faithful
Phelim
rushed
towards
the
cactus-plant
;
and
,
seizing
one
of
its
spinous
branches
in
his
naked
hands
,
wrenched
it
from
the
stem
.
His
fingers
were
fearfully
lacerated
in
the
act
;
but
what
mattered
that
,
when
weighed
against
the
life
of
his
beloved
master
?
With
equal
recklessness
he
ran
up
to
the
mare
;
and
,
at
the
risk
of
being
kicked
back
again
,
took
hold
of
her
tail
,
and
once
more
applied
the
instrument
of
torture
!
By
this
time
the
noose
had
been
adjusted
around
the
mustanger
's
neck
,
carefully
adjusted
to
avoid
fluke
or
failure
.
The
other
end
,
leading
over
the
limb
of
the
tree
,
was
held
in
hand
by
the
brace
of
bearded
bullies
--
whose
fingers
appeared
itching
to
pull
upon
it
.
In
their
eyes
and
attitudes
was
an
air
of
deadly
determination
.
They
only
waited
for
the
word
.
Not
that
any
one
had
the
right
to
pronounce
it
.
And
just
for
this
reason
was
it
delayed
.
