was very
like her father in some respects, and Hetty shook the reins. The next
minute they had swept over the brink, and Flora Schuyler saw the trail dip
steeply but slantwise to lessen the gradient to the frozen creek. The
sinking sun was hidden by the high bank now and the snow had faded to a
cold blue-whiteness, through which the trail ran, a faint line of dusky
grey. It was difficult to distinguish at the pace the team were making,
and the ground dropped sharply on one side of it.

"Let him have the reins, Hetty," she said.

Unfortunately Clavering, who was a trifle nettled and knew that team,
especially the temper of Badger the near horse better than Hetty did,
laughed just then.

"Hold fast, Miss Schuyler, and remember that if anything does happen, the
right-hand side is the one to get out from," he said.

"Now," said Hetty, "I'm not going to forgive you that. You sit quite
still, and we'll show him something, Flo."

She touched the horses with the lash, and Badger flung up his head;
another moment and he and the other beast had broken into a gallop. Hetty
threw herself backwards with both hands on the reins, but no cry escaped
her, and Clavering, who had a suspicion that he could do no more than she
was doing now, even if he could get over the back of the seat in time,
which was out of the question, set his lips as he watched the bank of snow
the trail twisted round rush towards them. The sleigh bounced beneath him
in another second or two, there was a stifled scream from Flora Schuyler,
and leaning over he tore the robe about the girls from its fastenings.
Then, there was a bewildering jolting and a crash, and he was flung out
head foremost into dusty snow.

When he scrambled to his feet again Hetty was sitting in the snow close by
him, and Flora Schuyler creeping out of a wreath of it on her hands and
knees. The sleigh lay on one side, not far away, with the Badger rolling
and kicking amidst a tangle of harness, though the other horse was still
upon its feet.

Clavering was pleased to find all his limbs intact, and almost as
gratified to see only indignant astonishment in Hetty's face. She rose
before he could help her and in another moment or two Flora Schuyler also
stood upright, clinging to his arm.

"No," she said, with a little gasp, "I don't think I'm killed, though I
felt quite sure of it at first. Now I only feel as though I'd been through
an earthquake."

Hetty turned and looked at Clavering