“You can see he don’t want to go,” said the driver. “I really think we had better find a bridge.”
“Oh, nonsense! give me the reins!” returned Andy sharply, seeing that the fellow was altogether too easily frightened. “I will take him over safely.”
“Don’t be too sure!” cried the agent in alarm. “He will break at the least little thing!”
But Andy would not listen to him further. He 192 took the reins, and holding them firmly, tapped the trotter with the whip.
The horse made a rush into the water, and in less than ten seconds the wagon was in up to the axles.
“We will be drowned! We will be drowned!” cried the agent in sudden terror. “I can’t swim!”
“We won’t be drowned. Just you hold on and keep quiet,” returned Andy shortly.
“But—but we are going deeper!”
“Not much deeper. I can still see the bottom.”
“Supposing we should slip—or Flip should slip?”