ulation.

As Lute's feet struck the bridge plankway, she pressed close to the
right. The wagon swerved. The front end of the box landed squarely
against the stone post.

The shock was a stunning one. It tore the wagon shafts, harness and all,
clear off the horse. With a circling twist the vehicle reversed like
lightning. The box struck the wooden rail. This snapped like a
pipe stem.

Lute, dashed on like a whirlwind, the driver of the other team staring
in appalled wonder, the box slid clear of the plankway and went whirling
to the river bed fifteen feet below.

Andy was thrown from side to side. Then, as the wagon landed, a new
crash and a new shock dazed his wits completely. He was hurled the
length of the box, his head fortunately striking where the newspaper bag
intervened.

Judging from the concussion, Andy decided that the wagon box had landed
on a big rock in the river bed. There it remained stationary. He
struggled to an upright position. One arm was badly wrenched. His face
was grazed and bleeding.

"If I don't get out some way," he panted, "I'll drown."

It looked that way. He felt a great spurt of water, pouring in rapidly
when the ventilator dipped under the surface. Then, too, the crash had
wrenched the box structure at various seams. Water was forcing its way
in, bottom, sides and top.

From ankle-deep to knee-deep, Andy stood helpless. Then, locating the
door end of the vehicle, he drew back and massed all his muscle for a
supreme effort. Shoulders first Andy posed, and then threw himself
forward, battering-ram fashion. He felt he must act and that quickly, or
else the worst might be his own.

CHAPTER XVIII

A FREAK OF NATURE

The doors at the rear of the wagon box gave way as Andy's body met their
inner surface with full force. He stood now on a slant, his body
submerged to the waist.

The box had crashed on top of one big flat rock in the river bed, and
had tilted on this foundation against another upright rock. But for this
it might have gone clear under water or floated down stream, and Andy
might have been drowned.

All through his stirring runaway experience Andy had kept possession of
the registered mail pouch. It was still slung from his shoulder as he
gazed around him. He was careful lest he disturb the equilibrium of the
wreck. He found out now that the door hinges had been knocked clear off
and the frame badly wrenched in its fall.

"Hello! hello!" shouted an excited v