This diverted and absorbed their thoughts, for none of the ladies
had ever forded a river before.
"Are you sure it's safe?" asked Mrs. Linceford.
"Safe as meetin'," returned Jim. "I'd drive across with my eyes shot."
"Oh, don't!" cried Elinor.
"I ain't agoin' ter; but I could,--an' the hosses, too, for that
matter."
It was exciting, nevertheless, when the water in mid-channel came up
nearly to the body of the wagon, and the swift ripples deluded the eye
into almost conviction that horses, vehicle, and all were not gaining an
inch in forward progress, but drifting surely down. They came up out of
the depths, however, with a tug, and a swash, and a drip all over, and a
scrambling of hoofs on the pebbles, at the very point aimed at in such
apparently sidelong fashion,--the wheel-track that led them up the bank
and into the ten-mile pine woods through which they were to skirt the
base of the Cairn and reach Feather-Cap on his accessible side. It was
one long fragrance and stillness and shadow.
They overtook the Routh party at the beginning of the mountain-path.
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