d her thhe wath all
right, thhe felt better," observed Tommy, with a sidelong glance at
Margery.

"Just as though I'd pay any attention to what you say," retorted
Margery, her chin in the air. "You talk entirely too much."

"I'm so glad you weren't hurt, Harriet," said Hazel, "but I'm sorry you
are so wet."

The water was running in little rivulets from Harriet's clothing. But
her interest was centered not on herself but on the two men who were
standing by the groaning horses, trying to decide what could be done to
get the animals out. Miss Elting slipped an arm about Harriet's waist.

"How thankful I am that you are safe," whispered the guardian, kissing
Harriet impulsively.

"The water was very cold," shivered Harriet. "I really didn't know
what had happened until I went in all over."

"Were you thrown directly through the opening?" questioned the guardian.

"No. I think I fell on a horse first. I rolled off before I could get
hold of anything to stop myself. Then----"

"Then you fell in," finished Tommy.

"Yes, I did, and with unpleasant force. Fortunately, the water was
deep and the current not very swift. But it was so dark that I
couldn't see which way to swim. I found the direction of the shore by
swimming across the current; otherwise I might have gone up or down
stream, for I could distinguish nothing. I touched bottom just a
little way from where I fell in. Had I struck just a little way to the
right I think I should have been killed. You girls are fortunate that
you didn't fall through the bridge. Was any of you hurt?"

"Yeth, Jane lotht thome thkin from her nothe, but she can grow thome
more, and it will thoon be better again." Tommy's reply drew a smile
from her companions, but they were all too much disturbed to feel like
indulging in merriment. Besides, there were the suffering horses.

"May I make a suggestion?" asked Harriet, releasing herself from Miss
Elting's embrace.

"Somebody will have to make one pretty soon," declared Janus, brushing
a sleeve across his forehead. "What is it?"

"I should think that if you were to place the ends of planks under the
horses, we might pry them up a little, so that, one by one, you could
shove other planks under them. In that way we might get enough planks
down to enable the horses to get a foothold."

"Can't be done," answered the driver.

"There will be no harm in trying," urged Harriet.

"It's a good idea," nodded Janus, after