lose your horse."

Mr. Brown understood his danger full as well as myself. He lifted the
animal with his bridle, and then drove his sharp spurs into his panting
sides, but in spite of his most violent exertions the gallant gray
floundered about, and did not make an inch headway, and with prompt
action was alone enabled to draw one foot and then another from the
sands, and prevent being swallowed alive.

The dark water was lashed into foam by the struggle, and yet I could
offer no assistance to my friend or his horse. It seemed to me that each
moment the latter was sinking deeper and deeper, and in a few moments
must disappear from sight.

Mr. Brown appeared to entertain the same opinion, for he disengaged his
feet from the stirrups, and threw himself from the animal, striking the
water flat upon his stomach, and swimming, with quick strokes, towards
the opposite bank, which he gained, and by aid of the branch of a gum
tree, which overhung the brook, succeeded in swinging his light form
upon solid earth.

The horse, relieved of the weight of his rider, seemed encouraged to
renewed exertions, and after prodigious efforts, emerged from the
quicksands, and uttered a neigh, as though rejoicing at his escape.

"You will have to go farther up," shouted Mr. Brown, shaking himself,
and looking at his soiled clothes rather ruefully. "The bed of the brook
is so quidling, that it won't bear the weight of a mosquito; and if you
should commence sinking, the Lord only knows when you would stop, or
where."

Not wishing to test the truth of his assertion, I rode along the bank of
the brook nearly a mile, until I found a place where the water was more
than six inches deep, with a solid bed of gravel. At this spot I crossed
without trouble, and then we continued our journey across the country,
Mount Tarrengower looming up before us like a giant amid pigmies.

"Devilish narrow escape for me and the horse," Mr. Brown said, while
walking our animals over some rough ground; "I thought at one time that
we both would have to go under, and I began to think of a prayer or two.
I knew something would happen to us after talking about poor Buckerly in
the manner that we did."

"Do you really think so?" I asked, hardly knowing whether he was
quizzing me or was serious.

"Upon my word I am not jesting. I have too much superstition in my
composition to think of spirits in any light, excepting that of the
utmost respect; for why should not th