vertical rifts scored the highway
serpentining hither and thither, the chasms gaping to swallow the Gloria
or at least bite off a wheel.

Now the earthy lip of a cleft would crumble and fall in as our
driving-wheels skimmed along the edge; now, steer with all the nerve and
nicety I might, the Gloria would rock as she hung half over a gully.
Somehow I coaxed her down the hill, and driving out from the labyrinth of
crevasses, I breathed a sigh of relief. But the next instant, I had only
time to jam on the brakes to save the car from vaulting into a small river
which ran across the road. Carefully embanked on either side, the stream
flowed swiftly, cutting the descent at right angles.

Whatever the depth might prove, I had to risk it. Mounting the nearer
embankment, I drove down into the running water, where the moon laughed up
at me as I broke her glittering reflection.

"Good old San Cristobal!" cried Dick as we came through without damage and
climbed the opposite bank, to plump down a breakneck descent on the other
side.

But it was early still to praise the saint. We had only to look ahead to
see how much more he had to do for us, if we were to win through to
Granada at all. Where a little clump of houses had assembled at the bottom
of the hill, as if to watch our struggle, another and far broader river
flowed.

It also raced across the highway, as if roads were made for river-beds;
and this time the situation was so serious that I stopped the Gloria to
reflect.

There was no doubt about it; this river was deep. Though a cart might ford
it safely, and have the flood of rippling silver no higher than the axles,
it was different with an automobile. I wondered bleakly what would happen
to the silencer if its mass of heated metal were suddenly plunged into
cold water, and what would happen to the commutator.

"When in doubt, play a trump," said Dick. "And I guess that camel-backed
bridge is a trump, if it's only a knave--or the deuce."

It was true, there was a narrow erection which might pass as a bridge, if
one wished to pay a compliment. It was of stone, and came to a steep point
at the apex, like a "card tent" when two cards receive support from one
another. It was the question of a fraction of an inch, if the Gloria were
to squeeze over; but between the danger of a jam and the danger of a burst
cylinder, I decided to risk playing Dick's trump.

First I got out and unscrewed the wheel-caps to give more cleara