re going to drive at all--which you are not fit to do," he added.

Out of bravado, I suppose, Halstead again applied the whip and we
trundled along down the next hill at a still more rapid rate.

"Now Halse, if you are going to drive like this, just haul up and let me
walk," Addison remonstrated, more seriously. But Halstead would not
stop, and, touching the horse again, set off down the last hill before
reaching the meadow, at an equally smart pace.

It is likely, however, that we might have got down without accident; but
the road, like most country roads, was rather narrow and as we drew near
the foot of the hill, we suddenly espied a horse and wagon emerging from
amongst the alder clumps through which the road across the meadow wound
its way, and saw, too, that a woman was driving.

"Give us half the road!" Halstead shouted. But the woman seemed
confused, as not knowing on which side of the road to turn out; she
hesitated and stopped in the middle of the road.

Perceiving that we were in danger of a collision, Addison snatched the
reins and turned our horse clean out into the alders; and the off hind
wheel coming violently in contact with an old log, the transient bolt of
the wagon broke. The forward wheels parted from the wagon body, and we
were all pitched out into the brush, in a heap together. The bags of
meal came on top of us.

Halstead had his nose scratched; I sprained one of my thumbs; and we
were all three shaken up smartly. Addison, however, regained his feet in
time to capture old Sol who was making off with the forward wheels.

The woman sat in her wagon and looked quite dazed by the spectacle of
boys and bags tumbling over each other.

"Dear hearts," said she, "are you all killed?"

"Why didn't you turn out!" exclaimed Halstead.

"I know I ought to," said the woman, humbly, "but you came down the hill
so fast, I thought your horse had run away. I was so scared I didn't
know what to do."

"You were not at all to blame, madam," said Ad. "It was we who were at
fault. We were driving too fast."

We contrived at length to patch up the wagon by tying the "rocker" of
the wagon body to the forward axle with the rope halter, and reloading
our meal bags, drove slowly home without further incident. Addison,
having captured the reins, retained possession of them, much to my
mental relief. Halstead laid the blame alternately to the woman and to
Addison's effort to grab the reins. "Now I suppose you will