minit," Rogers exclaimed, as Logan was hastily
preparing to start off. Rushing into the house, he emerged in a few
minutes, carrying a pine cradle with deep, sloping sides and broad,
rough rockers. "Heah's a companion piece fur thet cheer. Hope you'll
hev use fur it befoh we do ag'in," and nothing would do but that the
cradle should be placed on the sled. "Ha! ha! ha!" Rogers laughed
uproariously as he surveyed the outfit. "This turnout looks lak a
emigrant wagon mekin' a journey frum Cumberlan' Gap to the
settlements."

Good-by's were exchanged, and the train started. The bride with her two
attendants sat bravely on the sledge surrounded by her household goods,
while the groom stepped proudly on to guide his awkward team, his own
faithful dog, Toby, following at his heels. His house was not on the
main thoroughfare, and the shrubs and tangled vines, weighted down with
snow, bent over the narrow, little-used roadway, making it in places
almost impassable; but the cavalcade proceeded safely, if slowly, until
about half the journey was accomplished. Then, as they were going down
a steep hillside with a considerable slant to the left, the groom came
back from his post at the head of the team, to the side of his bride.
Susan was looking out across the landscape; Rache was engrossed with
her efforts to keep the various small articles from falling off the
sledge. The moment seemed propitious; he leaned over to give Betty a
reassuring kiss and embrace. Just then the vehicle ran over a stump
which was hidden, but not protected, by the snow, and it careened
sharply to the left. Abner, on the right, instantly threw his weight to
stay the tottering ark. This only added the proper impetus, with, as
the result, a complete overturn.

[Illustration: _Out tumbled bride, bridesmaid and servant in the
snow._]

Out tumbled bride, bridesmaid and servant in the snow, with feather
bed, chairs, table utensils, skillet, kettle, coffee boiler, buckets,
brooms, provisions on top. The two kittens, escaping from their sack,
and frightened out of at least four of their eighteen lives, scampered
madly up the nearest tree, in which house of refuge they sat with
arching backs and bristling tails, spitting and hissing. The pup,
liberated from his kettle, and confident that Toby was somehow to blame
for this melee, charged rashly at him. Toby, resenting this
insinuation, met the curly pup with gaping jaws and bristling back. A
terrific dog-fight ens