y jerks, the
omnibus swaying strangely. It was getting dark, and the lowering clouds
made it darker still. Not a word was spoken by the passengers, but each
was secretly dreading the crossing of the stream. At last the bank was
gained--but what a change! The little brook had become a torrent deep
and strong.

"Oh! For goodness' sake, stop! Stop! Let us get out," screamed the
Misses Rothwell.

"In with it! In with it!" roared Mark to the driver; "dash through like
a trump."

"Tchuck, tchuck," was the half-drunken driver's reply, as he lashed his
horses and urged them into the stream.

Down they went: splash! Dash! Plunge! The water foaming against the
wheels like a millstream. Screams burst from all the terrified ladies
except Mary and her mother, who held each other's hand tightly. Mrs
Franklin had taught her daughter presence of mind both by example and
precept. But now the water rushed into the vehicle itself as the
frightened horses struggled for the opposite bank. Mark's voice was now
heard in curses, as he snatched the whip from the driver and scourged
the poor bewildered horses. Another splash: the driver was gone: the
poor animals pulled nobly. Crash! Jerk! Bang! A trace had snapped:
another jerk, a fearful dashing and struggling, the omnibus was drawn
half out of the water, and lay partly over on its side: then all was
still except the wails and the shrieks of the ladies. Happily a lamp
had been lighted and still burned in the omnibus, which was now above
the full violence of the water. The door was opened and the passengers
released; but by whom?--certainly not by Mark. A tall figure moved
about in the dusk, and coming up to Mary threw a large cloak over her
shoulders, for it was now raining heavily, and said in a voice whose
tones she was sure she knew:

"Come with me, my child, your mother is close at hand; there, trust to
me; take my other arm, Mrs Franklin: very fortunate I was at hand to
help. The drink, the drink," he muttered in a low voice; "if they'd
stuck to the water at the beginning they wouldn't have stuck _in_ the
water at the end."

And now a light flashed on them: it was the ruddy glow from a forge.

"Come in for a moment," said their conductor, "till I see what is to be
done. Tom Flint, lend us a lantern, and send your Jim to show some of
these good people the way to the inn; they'll get no strong drink
there," he said, half to himself.

And now several of th