On they went. To Edgarton it was like going to sea; for no road could be seen; nothing but the trackless surface of the water; but instead of looking down, where his eye could have penetrated to the bottom, he was glancing forward in the vain hope of seeing dry land. Generally the water was but a few inches deep, but sometimes they soused into a hole; then Edgarton groaned and the ladies screamed; and sometimes it got gradually deeper until the hubs of the wheels were immersed, and the Englishman then called to the wagoners to stop.
“Don’t be afeard, sir,” one of them replied, “it is not bad; why this ain’t nothing; it’s right good going; it ain’t a-going to swim your horse, no how.”
“Anything seems a good road to you where the horse will not have to swim,” replied the Englishman surlily.
“Why, bless you,” said the backwoodsman, “this ain’t no part of a priming to places that I’ve seed afore, no how. I’ve seed race paths in a worse fix than this. Don’t you reckon, stranger, that if my team can drag this here heavy wagon, loaded down with plunder, you can sartainly get along with that ar little carry-all, and nothing on the face of the yeath to tote, but jist the women and children?”
They had but one such swamp to pass. It was only about half a mile wide, and after travelling that far through the water, the firm soil of the woods, which before seemed gloomy, became cheerful by contrast; and Edgarton found at last, that however unpleasant such travelling may be to those who are not accustomed to it, it has really no dangers but such as are imaginary.
As the cavalcade proceeded slowly, the ladies found it most pleasant to walk wherever the ground was sufficiently dry. Mrs. Edgarton and the children might be seen sauntering along, and keeping close to the carriage, for fear of being lost or captured by some nondescript monster of the wild, yet often halting to gather nosegays of wild flowers, or to examine some of the many natural curiosities which surrounded them....
The sun was about to set when the wagoners halted at an open spot, covered with a thick carpet of short grass, on the margin of a small stream of clear water. On inquiring the reason, Mr. Edgarton was assured that this was the best campground on the route, and as there was no house within many miles, it was advisable to make arrangements for passing the night there.
“Impossible!” exclaimed the European gentleman; “what! lie on the ground like beasts! we shall all catch our death of cold!”
“I should never live through the night,” groaned his fair partner....
“Don’t let us stay here in the dark, papa,” cried the children.