s we stand up the middle one goes down and
disappears altogether. The water must be deep and we are evidently in
the river.

There is nothing for it but to go to the driver's help, so I leave you
to reassure the ladies and get up to my waist almost at once as we pull
the horse's head above water, while the sand slips away beneath our
feet. The poor beast, after desperate kickings, gets on to his legs
again, but no effort of ours can move the carriage, which seems to be
sinking deeper and deeper. With the struggles of the horses the harness
has all come to bits again, and the poor, mild, dismayed creatures turn
round, quite free from their trappings, and look at the vehicle as much
as to say, "What a shabby trick you have served us!"

The driver brings the horses alongside, and the bundle of scented
wrappings, which is the more important lady, is lifted on the back of
one. The man himself gets up behind her to hold her on, and when she
feels his wet embrace she raises a perfect storm of shrieks as if she
were being carried away by a robber. He takes not the slightest notice,
but solemnly sets his horse's head to the shore, and they splash away.
By yourself you have managed to land on to the back of the next horse,
and before you have time to turn round or do anything to help with the
other lady, the horse kicks up its heels, sending you shooting on to its
neck, and whinnying wildly scrambles off after its comrade. The Turkish
lady's companion makes no fuss at all about coming with me. She slips on
to the remaining horse as if she were used to riding all her life, and,
sitting astride like a man, holds him in until I mount behind. It is
lucky indeed this animal has no spirit left, or she and I would have
been stranded!

At this rate we shall soon reach Haifa.

When we do get there what a chattering and what excitement!
Unfortunately, as we can't speak the native tongue, we miss most of it,
but the excited gestures and loud voices show that we are heroes indeed.

Next morning I find myself none the worse for my wetting, and before we
leave we have the satisfaction of seeing all the bundles and packages
belonging to the ladies safely recovered. But we gather that the
waggonette remains immovable. We can see it, far off, partly surrounded
by the swirling water like a little black island. The united strength
of a dozen men and six horses have been unable to pull it on to firm
ground. There it will stay till it rots, in t