of the stream ran close to the road, and the Mr. Podington, the reins and the whip in his hands, sat horrified and pale; the accident was so sudden, he was so startled and so frightened that, for a moment, he could not speak a word. Mr. Buller, on the other hand, was now lively sail straight across, because the current would carry us down and land us below that spot." Mr. Podington said not a word; he expected every moment to see the horse sink into a watery grave. "It isn't so bad after all, is it, Podington? If we had a rudder and a bit of a sail it would be a great help to the horse: this wagon is not a bad boat." Perceiving that the objects he beheld were not and alert. The wagon had no sooner floated away from the shore than he felt himself at home. He was upon his favorite element; water had no fears for him. He saw that his friend was nearly frightened out of his wits, and that, figuratively speaking, he must step to the helm and take charge of the vessel. He stood up and gazed about him. 66 "Put her across stream!" he shouted; she can't make headway against this current. Head her to that clump of trees on the other side; the bank is lower there, and we can beach her. Move a little the other way, we must trim boat. Now then, pull on your starboard rein.” Podington obeyed, and the horse slightly changed his direction. 66 The despairing Podington looked at his feet. "It's coming in," he said in a husky voice. "Thomas, the water is over my shoes!" That's so," said Buller; "she leaks like a sieve." The weight of the running gear and of the two men was entirely too much for the buoyancy of the wagon body. The water rapidly rose toward the top of its sides. We are going to drown!" cried Podington, suddenly rising. 66 "Lick him! Lick him!" exclaimed Buller. "Make him swim faster!" "There's nothing to lick," cried Podington, vainly lashing at the water, for he could not reach the horse's head. The poor man was dreadfully frightened; he had never even imagined it possible that he should be drowned in his own wagon. "Whoop!" cried Buller, as the water rose over the sides. "Steady yourself, old boy, or you'll go overboard!" And the next moment the wagon body sunk out of sight. But it did not go down very far. The deepest part of the channel of the stream had been passed, and with a bump the You see," said Buller, "it won't do to wheels struck the bottom. Nothing was visible above the water but the head and neck of a horse and the heads and shoulders of two men.-Page 226. "Heavens!" exclaimed Buller, "we are his head and neck well above water, and aground." his back barely visible beneath the sur"Aground!" exclaimed Podington. face. Having recovered his breath, he "Heaven be praised! now thought it was time to move on. As the two men stood up in the submerged wagon the water was above their knees, and when Podington looked out over the surface of the pond, now so near his face, it seemed like a sheet of water he had never seen before. It was something horrible, threatening to rise and envelop him. He trembled so that he could scarcely keep his footing. "William," said his companion, "you must sit down; if you don't, you'll tumble overboard and be drowned. There is nothing for you to hold to." "Sit down," said Podington, gazing blankly at the water around him, " I can't do that!" At this moment the horse made a slight movement. Having touched bottom after his efforts in swimming across the main bed of the stream, with a floating wagon in tow, he had stood for a few moments, "I can't head him," cried Podington, "I have dropped the reins!" "Good gracious!" cried Mr. Buller, "that's bad. Can't you steer him by shouting Gee' and 'Haw?'" "No," said Podington, "he isn't an ox; but perhaps I can stop him." And with as much voice as he could summon, he called out: "Whoa!" and the horse stopped. "If you can't steer him any other way," said Buller, "we must get the reins. Lend me your whip." "I have dropped that too," said Podington; "there it floats." 66 Don't get out! Don't get out!" exclaimed Podington. "You can reach over the dash-board." "As that's under water," said Buller, "it will be the same thing as diving; but it's got to be done, and I'll try it. Don't you move now; I am more used to water than you are.' Mr. Buller took off his hat and asked his friend to hold it. He thought of his watch and other contents of his pockets, but there was no place to put them, so he gave them no more consideration. Then bravely getting on his knees in the water, he leaned over the dash-board, almost disappearing from sight. With his disengaged hand Mr. Podington grasped the submerged coat-tails of his friend. In a few seconds the upper part of Mr. Buller rose from the water. He was dripping and puffing, and Mr. Podington could not but think what a difference it made in the appearance of his friend to have his hair plastered close to his head. Podington; "I don't want that; the reins are thinner and lighter." ler. "Now I remember they are," said Bul"I'll go down again." Again Mr. Buller leaned over the dashboard, and this time he remained down longer, and when he came up he puffed and sputtered more than before. "Is this it?" said he, holding up a strip of wet leather. "Yes," said Podington, "you've got the reins." "Well, take them, and steer. I would have found them sooner if his tail had not got into my eyes. That long tail's floating down there and spreading itself out like a fan; it tangled itself all around my head. It would have been much easier if he had been a bob-tailed horse." "Now then," said Podington, "take your hat, Thomas, and I'll try to drive." Mr. Buller put on his hat, which was the only dry thing about him, and the nervous Podington started the horse so suddenly that even the sea-legs of Buller were surprised, and he came very near going backward into the water; but recovering himself, he sat down. "Oh, that was a trace," said "Do you consider that a safe boat?" he asked the fisherman.-Page 227. "Don't try to stand up; hold on to the boom and creep forward. Steady now, or you'll be overboard!"-Page 229. "I don't wonder you did not like to do this, William," said he. "Wet as I am, it's ghastly!" Encouraged by his master's voice, and by the feeling of the familiar hand upon his bit, the horse moved bravely on. But the bottom was very rough and uneven. Sometimes the wheels struck a large stone, terrifying Mr. Buller, who thought they were going to upset; and sometimes they sank into soft mud, horrifying Mr. Podington, who thought they were going to drown. Thus proceeding, they presented a strange sight. At first Mr. Podington held his hands above the water as he drove, "By George! I forgot all about this," said Podington, as he unfastened the cork jacket.-Page 230. but he soon found this awkward, and dropped them to their usual position, so that nothing was visible above the water but the head and neck of a horse and the heads and shoulders of two men. Now the submarine equipage came to a low place in the bottom, and even Mr. Buller shuddered as the water rose to his chin. Podington gave a howl of horror, and the horse, with high, uplifted head, was obliged to swim. At this moment a boy with a gun came strolling along the road, and hearing Mr. Podington's cry, he cast his eyes over the water. Instinctively he raised his weapon to his shoulder, and then, in an instant, perceiving that the objects he beheld were not aquatic birds, he dropped his gun and ran yelling down the road toward the mill. But the hollow in the bottom was a narrow one, and when it was passed the depth of the water gradually decreased. The back of the horse came into view, the dash-board became visible, and the bodies and the spirits of the two men rapidly rose. Now there was vigorous splashing and tugging, and then a jet black horse, shining as if he had been newly varnished, pulled a dripping wagon containing two wellsoaked men upon a shelving shore. "Oh, I am chilled to the bones!" said Podington. "I should think so," replied his friend; "if you have got to be wet, it is a great deal pleasanter under the water." There was a field-road on this side of the pond which Podington well knew, and proceeding along this they came to the bridge and got into the main road. "Now, we must get home as fast as we can," cried Podington, "or we shall both take cold. I wish I hadn't lost my whip. Hi now! Get along!" Podington was now full of life and energy, his wheels were on the hard road, and he was himself again. |