During the journey Fred Temple usually led the way. Norman Grant, being
a careless, easy-going, drowsy fellow, not to be trusted, was placed in
the middle, and Sam Sorrel brought up the rear. Sam's duty was to
prevent straggling, and pick up stray articles or baggage.

On the day of which I write the three friends had travelled far, and
were very sleepy. It was near midnight when they came to a steep and
broken part of the road, which ran alongside of the foaming river
already mentioned, and, turning at a sharp angle, crossed it by means of
a rude wooden bridge.

Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, the sky was almost as bright
as at noon.

"Mind yourself here," shouted Fred, looking back at Grant, who was
almost asleep.

"Hallo! oh, all right!" cried Grant, gathering up the reins and
attempting to drive. Fortunately for him Norwegian ponies need no
driving. They are trained to look after themselves. Fred went down the
hill at a canter. Grant followed at a spanking trot, and both of them
reached the bridge, and made the turn in safety.

Sam Sorrel was some distance behind. Both he and his shooscarle were
sitting bolt-upright, more than half-asleep, with the reins hanging
loose on the pony's back. The first thing that awakened Sam was the
feeling of going down hill like a locomotive engine. Rousing himself,
he seized the reins, and tried to check the pony. This only confused
it, and made it run the cariole so near to the edge of the river, that
they were almost upset into it.

When Sam became fully aware of his position, he opened his eyes, pursed
his lips, and prepared for "squalls." Not being a practised driver, he
did not make sufficient allowance for a large stone which had fallen
from the cliffs, and lay on the road. He saw what was coming, and
gathered himself up for a smash; but the tough little cariole took it as
an Irish hunter takes a stone wall. There was a tremendous crash.
Sam's teeth came together with a snap, and the shooscarle uttered a
roar; no wonder, poor fellow, for his seat being over the axle, and
having no spring to it, the shock which he received must have been
_absolutely_ shocking! However, they got over that without damage, and
the river was crossed by all three in safety.

The next hill they came to was a still worse one. When they were
half-way down the leader came to a sudden halt; Grant's cariole almost
ran over it; Sam and the luggage-cart pulled up just in