“I guess she knows how to be a wild girl better’n you and me did,” and Tess agreed, though with a whispered protest over her sister’s grammar.
Neale and young Mr. Shepard had finally decided that the only way to get the car out of the mire was to unhitch the team from the peddler’s wagon and use that “two horse power engine.”
“You’ll all have to get out while it’s being done, too,” said Neale to his party. “There’ll be weight enough for one pair of horses, at best.”
At once Cecile Shepard hopped down from the seat of the cart, and while the boys unhitched the horses, she got an umbrella and took Mrs. Heard first from the automobile to the rear of the van. There were steps and a door which gave entrance to the strange vehicle; and a lamp was quickly lighted inside. Then Cecile came back with the umbrella for the girls, and the entire touring party, save Neale and Tom Jonah, but including Sammy, were soon cozily ensconced in the peddler’s wagon.
The Corner House girls were delighted with the way the van was arranged—and they were delighted with the cheerful, intelligent Cecile Shepard, too. They had a very talkative time while the boys worked hard to get the stranded automobile out of the mud.
The rain thundered down upon the huge tarpaulin that covered the van. A sweet breath of damp air blew through the wagon from the opening in front to the open door behind. Cecile told them something of the experiences of herself and her brother as tin peddlers.
Luke had a rope long enough to surround the body of the stalled automobile, so that the strain could be properly distributed. He and Neale tackled on the horses and carefully started them.
At the second trial the automobile wheels came out of the mud, and she rolled out upon the harder center of the road.
“Whoop—ee!” yelled Neale. “Now we’re all right. And—and the rain is stopping! What do you know about that?”