d to the
other in an effort to avoid them. Harriet wanted to suggest to Jasper that
he use both hands to drive, but she did not quite like to do so. He
undoubtedly would resent her interference, nor could she blame him for
doing so.

"Jasper, are you sure the horse is perfectly safe?" questioned Miss Elting
apprehensively.

"Hasn't been doing nothing for nigh onto a week. Jest feels his oats,
that's all."

Harriet was not fully satisfied with the explanation, though the others
appeared to be. Harriet watched the animal now even more closely than she
had done before.

"Gid-ap!" commanded Jasper, giving the horse an unexpected slap with the
reins after a particularly quick swerve to one side of the road on the
animal's part. The horse cleared the road with a single leap sideways. He
had been pricked by the sharp top of a bush at the instant the reins were
brought down on his back. The reins not being under the full control of
the driver at that moment, the animal took advantage of the fact and
shying clear out of the narrow road, plunged in among the trees in a panic
of fear.

There followed a crunching grinding crash.

"Thave me! Oh, thave me!" screamed Tommy.

With a ripping sound the canopy top was stripped clear of the vehicle and
left dangling from the low hanging limbs of the trees under which the
buck-board wagon had been dragged.

"Hold fast! Don't try to jump!" commanded Miss Elting without the least
trace of excitement in her voice. Hazel placed a firm hand on the arm of
the terror-stricken Tommy.

The right forward wheel of the wagon collided with a tree. The wheel was
shattered, and the end of the axle broken off short. At the same instant
the horse sprang sharply to the left evidently in an effort to get back
into the log road, facing almost in the opposite direction.

Jasper being on the downhill side when the wheel collapsed, plunged head
first from the seat, landing heavily on the ground. His head coming into
contact with the base of the tree, Jasper sank over on his side,
unconscious.

Harriet had not lost her head for a second. As the driver fell she
snatched at the reins. She caught one of them, the other falling to the
ground on the wrecked side of the wagon.

The thills of the wagon broke off short with reports like the explosions
of a pistol. Then the horse bolted. Harriet grasping the one rein with
both hands shot over the dashboard of the wagon as though she had been
projected from