"If you will drive with me, Miss Pennington, Mr. B. will take your things; the boy can ride the horse, and we will leave the buckboard here until to-morrow."
I accepted the hospitality of his buggy with many thanks. The transfer of freight was made. Dab took Ruth out, and I rolled the vehicle into the woods, as I could not bear that my buckboard should be left on the roadside, a spectacle of a breakdown. Just as it was all accomplished Dab stammered out:—
"I find de nut."
Great surprise, for this was fully 100 yards in front of the spot where the wheel had run off, but he said he felt it under his foot and picked it up and showed it in his hand. Mr. H. said:—
"That boy could never have put the nut on at all after greasing it!"
Dab was vociferous as to his having put it on and screwed it tight. I was beyond conjecture, and too thankful to question. Very rapidly the transfer was made back to my vehicle, Mr. H. remarking, "Your buckboard takes easily more than our two buggies."
I thanked them heartily for their chivalrous aid, and we all drove on home.
After the agitation had somewhat subsided, I asked Dab, who was sitting behind, if he had really put the tap on or not. He answered with great certainty:—
"Yes, ma'am; yes, ma'am; I did put it on; I know I did, en screwed it tight—"
I did not contradict him, but said, "Think about it; go back in your mind and remember just what you did, and where you put the nut when you took off this wheel, which you say you greased last."