“That’s it,” said Dolly, smacking his whip. “It’s just everything. This shower will bring a bit of grass along, and if we get more, or the river floods over, as it’s like enough to do if these tales from the township are true, you’ll see the grass springin’ like one o’clock. And in a few weeks’ time we’ll be able to take a gallop over green turf and hear the horses’ feet swish through jolly long grass.”
“I wish it would hurry up and rain while we’re out here. They won’t let me outside I know if it comes a downpour later, and I do so want to feel it pouring on me and over me.”
“Here’s the billabong,” said Dolly, “and runnin’ strong too. Come up there, come up. So long since the brutes have seen water they’ve forgotten what it looks like,” he chuckled.
He drove in cautiously, and the horses advanced step by step, till the water rose almost to their girths, and a splash swilled across the buggy floor.
“Here I say, y’ know,” said Dolly, anxiously. “I’m afraid this is hardly good enough. We’ll have to try higher up.”
“Go on, go on,” cried Ess. “I’ll tuck my feet up. Let’s go through it.”
Dolly drove in deeper, till the water was swirling across the bottom of the buggy.
“No good,” he said, pulling the horses round. “I can’t take you swimmin’, you know. We’ll try higher up.”
They waded out and trotted along the edge of the water for a mile, and tried again, but this time very few steps took them still deeper. “’Igher up, ’igher up,” cried Dolly, pulling out again. “Bank, Bank, penny all th’ wye.” He plied the whip briskly. “It’ll be dark long before we’re in, as it is,” he said.
They tried again and again at several points, and at last Dolly said despairingly, “I’m afraid there’s nothing for it, Miss Ess, but chance a wetting and swim it if necessary. There’s nothing to be scared of, y’ know, but you may get beastly wet. D’you mind?”