“Hurrah!” cried Adam. “Now we can cut right along for the boat.”
“Dat’s so,” said Pete, his eyes sparkling and his mouth in a broad grin. “We’s done beat ’em! Dere ain’t no other place where they can pass, even if they could kitch up.”
“Which they can’t do,” said Adam. “There ain’t no more run in them horses.”
The three boys looked back. In the front cart was an old gentleman and an elderly lady, apparently his wife. These sat on one seat, while another lady, holding a little girl, sat on some luggage, and the driver, a negro boy, perched himself on a trunk in the front of the cart.
In the second cart were two ladies, a short gentleman, in blue-flannel shirt and high boots, and a number of children, apparently all girls. These were piled upon valises and various articles of baggage, and altogether made a pretty heavy load for one horse.
The hindmost cart now stopped, and the gentleman and two or three of the girls got out and walked to ease the poor horse. Both carts then came on at a slow pace, the party evidently having given up the hope of reaching the steamboat in time to be well accommodated.
The boys now looked at each other.
“Look here!” said Phil.
“Fellows!” exclaimed Chap, at the same moment.
“That’s so!” said Phœnix, as if he had known what the others were thinking of.