orses, amid shouts and screams. There seemed to be no end to the
crashing and screaming for some moments; then a sudden silence settled
over the darkened structure, broken only by the frightened neigh of a
horse.

CHAPTER IV

AN EXCITING NIGHT

"Girls!" It was Miss Elting who called. "Oh, girls, are you hurt?"

"I'm killed. Thave me!" moaned Grace.

"I think I'm alive, but I'm not sure," cried Jane. "I've scraped the
skin from my nose entirely. What a mess! what a mess!"

"Wait!" The guardian's voice was commanding. "Margery, Hazel!"

"Ye--es," answered two voices in chorus. They sounded far away.

"Harriet!" There was no reply. She repeated the call, but there was
still no answer. Miss Elting became alarmed now. She was still
sitting in the broken carry-all, to which she had clung desperately at
the sudden stoppage, thus preventing herself from being hurled out, as
had occurred to her charges. Thus far not a word had been heard from
the two men. Now, a groan somewhere ahead attracted the teacher's
attention.

"Girls, don't move! We do not know what has occurred. Does any of you
know where Mr. Grubb is?"

"Yeth. He ith right here. I jutht touched hith whithkerth," answered
Tommy in a weak, plaintive little voice. "I gueth he ith dead."

The guardian clambered from the rear of the carry-all. The lantern had
been extinguished by the shock. She got down, carefully groping about
in the blackness for the lantern. She uttered a little exclamation of
thanksgiving when her fingers came in contact with it. But the chimney
had been shattered by the shock. Only the lower part of it remained,
just enough to shield the flame when once this should have been
restored. It was but the work of a few seconds to relight the lantern.
Miss Elting ran around to the front of the vehicle. She beheld a
strange scene.

Both horses were down. At first they appeared to be lying on the floor
of the bridge. A closer look showed the guardian that the forelegs of
each animal had gone right through the floor. Then the further
discovery was made that there was little flooring at this point. The
planks that had once formed the floor at this particular spot lay piled
on each side of the driveway. Only the beams held the horses from
falling through to the water, a few feet below.

A short distance beyond lay Janus Grubb, sprawled on his back; while
close beside him, lay the form of the driver. Margery a