Part 6 (1/2)
The water was running in little rivulets from Harriet's clothing. But her interest was centered not on herself but on the two men who were standing by the groaning horses, trying to decide what could be done to get the animals out. Miss Elting slipped an arm about Harriet's waist.
”How thankful I am that you are safe,” whispered the guardian, kissing Harriet impulsively.
”The water was very cold,” s.h.i.+vered Harriet. ”I really didn't know what had happened until I went in all over.”
”Were you thrown directly through the opening?” questioned the guardian.
”No. I think I fell on a horse first. I rolled off before I could get hold of anything to stop myself. Then----”
”Then you fell in,” finished Tommy.
”Yes, I did, and with unpleasant force. Fortunately, the water was deep and the current not very swift. But it was so dark that I couldn't see which way to swim. I found the direction of the sh.o.r.e by swimming across the current; otherwise I might have gone up or down stream, for I could distinguish nothing. I touched bottom just a little way from where I fell in. Had I struck just a little way to the right I think I should have been killed. You girls are fortunate that you didn't fall through the bridge. Was any of you hurt?”
”Yeth, Jane lotht thome thkin from her nothe, but she can grow thome more, and it will thoon be better again.” Tommy's reply drew a smile from her companions, but they were all too much disturbed to feel like indulging in merriment. Besides, there were the suffering horses.
”May I make a suggestion?” asked Harriet, releasing herself from Miss Elting's embrace.
”Somebody will have to make one pretty soon,” declared Ja.n.u.s, brus.h.i.+ng a sleeve across his forehead. ”What is it?”
”I should think that if you were to place the ends of planks under the horses, we might pry them up a little, so that, one by one, you could shove other planks under them. In that way we might get enough planks down to enable the horses to get a foothold.”
”Can't be done,” answered the driver.
”There will be no harm in trying,” urged Harriet.
”It's a good idea,” nodded Ja.n.u.s, after having stroked his whiskers reflectively. Ja.n.u.s always consulted his whiskers when in doubt, and among the graying hairs usually found that for which he sought. He was the first to go after a plank. The near horse was the one to feel the support of the plank as the guide worked it under one side of the animal. Ja.n.u.s turned the end of the plank over to Harriet Burrell while he ran for another plank. This was repeated, the driver, after a time, taking part in the operation, until four planks had been worked in under the horse.
”Now, all work together,” urged Harriet. ”Mr. Grubb, see if you and the driver can't get a couple of planks clear under the horse. If you can get the end of a plank on one of the beams you will have done something really worthwhile.”
Miss Elting, Jane, Hazel and Harriet each were a.s.signed to ”man” the end of a plank.
”Now, all together! Hee--o--hee!” shouted Ja.n.u.s. A plank slid easily underneath the stomach of the near horse and came to rest on a beam.
”Hooray!” cheered the guide. ”That's what comes of having a head on one's shoulders. Young woman, you've got one. Let him down a little.
Here, Jim, you get some planks around under that other horse. We'll have them up, but we may break their legs in the final effort. I don't know. Somebody will have to settle for the damage done here to-night.”
”The wagon is broken,” Margery informed them.
”Never mind the wagon. It's the horses we must save,” answered Miss Elting. ”We can't leave them to suffer.”
Fifteen minutes of hard labor sufficed to raise the horses a little and to place them in greater comfort. The sharp edges of the beams no longer cut into the flesh, and their breathing was less labored. The party paused to rest from their efforts.
”If we had some rope and pulleys we could get the animals out without much difficulty,” reflected Ja.n.u.s. ”But how to do it now I don't know.
I swum! I'm dead-beat.”
”Can you lift?” questioned Jane.
”Tolerable.”