Jacob then caught a nod of assent from his father and cast a quick glance at his sister, Elizabeth, whose wheel was again whirring busily. She jumped to her feet.
"May I go too, father?" she cried.
He gave his consent absent-mindedly and then turned to the subject in question.
Meantime the girl and boy chased off together.
"I believe the cows have wandered through the woods to the salt-marsh," declared Elizabeth; so they turned in that direction, following a crooked path for a long time. At last a breaking of the bushes opened a way to the discovery of five of the cows. The children were pushing on for the sixth, when a distant shout was heard on the opposite shore of the marshy stream. There in the mud and mire stood a horse and rider. Each step plunged them deeper and brought them nearer to the stream.
"Is this the ford?" the stranger called.
Jacob at once saw he had mistaken a cow-path for a trail.
"Back, quick!" cried the frightened children. "You cannot cross there!"
The horse, about to plunge again, turned suddenly, while the children shouted the direction to the ford, much farther up the stream.