Part 4 (2/2)
Ja.n.u.s consulted with Miss Elting. He said they could walk to the Shelter in a couple of hours, provided the girls were hard enough to stand the climb. The guardian a.s.sured him that they were equal to anything in the walking line. It was, therefore, settled that the driver should take them to the foot of the mountain, whence they would make their way on foot to the stopping place for the night, thus beginning their tramp at the base of the mountain.
”How much farther have we to go?” questioned Harriet.
”A mile farther on we pa.s.s over a long, covered bridge. The road takes a sharp bend beyond that. The foot of the mountain lies less than a mile from the end of the bridge. We shall soon be there,” answered Ja.n.u.s. The girls burst forth into song. Ja.n.u.s had to shout to make himself heard when he spoke to the driver. The horses were traveling at a lively pace. They did not enjoy the disturbance behind them, and their driver, having wrapped the reins about his arms to give him greater purchase, was pulling st.u.r.dily, his feet braced against the dashboard of the carry-all.
”Here's the bridge,” cried the guide.
A lantern had been lighted and hung from the rear axle of the carry-all. But this did little more than cast weird, flickering shadows ahead. It certainly did not light up the road ahead of there.
In the dense darkness the bridge was not visible to the eyes of the Meadow-Brook Girls.
”The bridge ith coming. Low bridge!” piped Tommy.
”Be quiet; I fear we are making the driver's work difficult,” warned Miss Elting.
”Oh, but isn't this the fine ride?” cried Crazy Jane. ”It's almost like being in my own darlin' automobile with the landscape slipping past on a greased track. Now, what if one of the horses should fall down? Wouldn't we be tumbled into a goose pile!” chuckled Jane.
”Oh, thave me!” cried Tommy.
”Don't suggest anything so awful,” begged Margery.
”Oh! What's that!” exclaimed Harriet.
The others did not know to what she referred, but they felt a sudden jolt as the vehicle lurched to the side of the road, then back again.
”What is it?” demanded Hazel.
”The horses have taken fright,” answered the guardian calmly. ”Be careful that you do not excite them further.”
”Are--are the hortheth running away?” stammered Tommy.
”Not yet,” rea.s.sured Harriet.
”Don't be frightened,” called back the guide encouragingly. ”Jim can hold any hosses that ever chewed a bit. We'll be on the bridge in a minute; then they can thrash all they want to. Look out!”
There followed a crash, a breaking, splintering sound as the right rear wheel of the carry-all swerved into the side of the covered bridge a few inches from the outer end. The wheel put a hole through the siding of the bridge. It was fortunate for the carry-all that the wheel had not swerved a second earlier. Had it done so, the carry-all must have been wrecked on the stout post at the outer end of the long bridge.
What had so startled the horses none of the occupants of the carry-all knew. The driver knew that they had had a narrow escape from being hurled down an embankment. It was a bad place for horses to take fright. He had managed, however, to pick the team up by the reins and set them down in the middle of the road, where they remained but a few seconds before they were swerving to one side again, then they began leaping and galloping through the long, covered bridge.
Once more a rear wheel raked the boards. The girls cried out, fearing that they would be hurled through the siding and down into the river.
They were clinging to the sides of the vehicle, gripping them firmly with their hands.
”Don't lose your presence of mind, girls,” cried Miss Elting. ”I think the driver has the animals under control now.” She was obliged to shout in order to make herself heard.
The roar of the carry-all on the floor of the bridge was terrifying.
As the vehicle rolled over the loose planks of the bridge floor the sound was almost as if a Gatling gun were being fired, accompanied by a crash, now and then, as the wagon was hurled against the side of the bridge.
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