Dave had turned when Charger cried out with the cracking dam, and saw the rest of the spectacle. He gasped when he saw Charger take a running jump off the breaking dam. He was shocked into silence for a moment, and just as he was about to shout at Streak, Charger pulled himself back onto the bridge. Dave silently urged Charger to hurry.
The group had just reached safety. Blaze and Streak were catching their breath when they heard Charger cry out for help.
Blaze hesitated for a moment, then placed Art almost gently on the ground, and took off at full speed across the dam as it began a fresh tremor. "Hold on, Charger! I'm a-coming!"
Blaze knew he wasn't going fast enough ... and he instinctively dropped to all fours and somehow moved faster. Dave, seeing this, was reminded crazily of how Stranger would begin moving on hands and feet in a video game he played.
Blaze was at Charger's side in moments, and he spent little time settling Charger on his back, and began to run back on his hands and feet. Unfortunately, he wasn't going nearly as fast with Charger on his back, hindering his movement.
Streak and Dave watched this display with great anxiety ... and after a few moments of watching Blaze trying to return with their brother, Streak growled and bolted onto the dam. Dave reached out and called for her to stop, but to no avail.
Streak reached Blaze and Charger when they were about thirty yards away from the safe end of the dam. Blaze stood Charger up and took his good arm over his shoulder, and Streak picked up his legs. They carried him between themselves and ran at a good clip across the dam... when the last stable part of the dam gave way.
Instinctively, Blaze and Streak leapt forward at the last moment ... and touched down on the ground. Unfortunately, Charger went tumbling from their grasp and to the ground ... but they were all safe.
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