aking their
morning drams. My father was an abstemious man, and although invited to
stop and liquor, declined doing so. We drove on as fast as the horses
could go, as he was anxious to cross the river early in the day. The
weather had hitherto been fine, but it now looked threatening, though as
the day advanced the clouds blew off. My father told my mother that he
hoped we should escape the storm.

About mid-day we stopped at another log shanty, similar to the one at
which we had rested for the night, in order to bate the horses. We
afterwards passed through several forests of considerable size, with
more open wild land covered with low bushes, where the rocky soil
afforded no depth for larger vegetation.

The country improved as we approached Green River, growing tobacco,
Indian corn, flax, and buck-wheat, while the numerous parties of blacks
we saw at work on plantations showed that the country was more thickly
populated than any we had hitherto passed through. From information my
father gained, he understood that we should cross Green River by a ford
without difficulty.

"The river is pretty broad about there, and the shallow is not very
wide; so, stranger, you must keep direct for the landing-place, which
you will see on the opposite side. Better drive up than down the
stream, but better still to keep straight across," added his informant.

"Oh, Patrick, must you positively cross that wide extent of water?"
exclaimed my mother as we reached the bank and she surveyed the broad
river flowing by.

"There are marks of wheels on this side, and I make out an easy
landing-place on the other," answered my father.

Having surveyed the ford, my father without hesitation drove in, telling
my mother not to be afraid, as he did not suppose that the water would
reach above the axles.

The stream as it flowed by, bubbled and hissed between the wheels,
making me quite giddy to look at it. The water grew deeper and deeper
until it reached the axles; then in a little time on looking down I saw
it bubbling up through the bottom of the waggon.

My father did not turn his head, but keeping his eyes steadily fixed on
the landing-place, urged on the horses. They had not got more than
half-way over when they began to plunge in a manner which threatened to
break the harness. Again my father shouted and applied his whip over
their backs; the animals seemed every instant as if about to lose their
legs, while the water not