ere tonight for all the floods in ten years. No
girl would that valued her husband and herself.'

"'But look at the drift!' he urged.

"'It is a big head of water,' she agreed. 'I was once
before upset in such a flood as this. You must head them
up-stream a little, and then strike down again to the
opposite bank.'

"'Not I,' he answered. 'I am not going to drown myself for
a trifle of pride, nor you either. We must go back.'

"She shook her head. 'Not that!' she replied. 'Give me the
reins and the whip.' Before he could resist she had taken
them from his hands. 'Put your feet on our box,' she
directed, 'or the water will float it away. Now then!'

"She drew the whip across the horses' quarters, and in a
minute they were in the river, while Andreas sat marveling.

"'You understand that it was first necessary to move up-
stream to a point in the middle of the river. She steadied
the horses with a taut hold on the reins, for her young
wrists were strong as iron, and spoke to them cheerily as
the flood leaped against their chests, and they stood and
hesitated. The rain drove in their faces viciously:
Andreas, his face sheltered by the wide brim of his hat,
had to rub away the water again and again in order to see;
but Anna knit her brows and endured the storm gallantly,
while with whip and rein and voice she pushed the team on
towards the place of turning.

"The rushing of the water filled their ears, and before
them, between the high banks of the Vaal, they saw only a
world of brown water, streaked with white froth, hurling
down upon them. It rose above the foot-board and swilled to
the level of the seat. The horses, with heads lifted high,
were often, for an anxious moment or two, free of the
shifting bottom and swimming. A tree, blundering down-
stream, struck the near wheel, and they were nearly
capsized, the water rushing in over their knees. As they
tilted Andreas gave a cry, and shifted in his place. Anna
called to her horses and knit her brows.

"At last it was time to humor them around, and this, as I
need not tell you, is the risky business in crossing a
flooded drift. With somewhat of a draw on the near rein,
Anna checked the team, and then, prodding with her whip,
headed the horses over and started them. They floundered
and splashed, and Andreas half rose from his seat, with
lips clenched on a cry. The traces tightened under the
water, a horse stumbled and vanished for a moment, and, as
the cart