a little wider, a little worse. We crossed 
it. I made no comments. 
At the third stream the horses re- 
belled. There are many things four 
horses can do on the edge of a wicked 
looking river to make it uncomfortable, 
but at last they had to go in, plunging 
madly, and dragging the wagon into 
the stream nearly . broadside, which 
made at least one in the party consider 
the frailty of human contrivances when 
matched against a raging flood. 
Soon there was another stream. I 
shall not describe it. When we eventu- 
ally got through it, the driver stopped 
his horses to rest, wiped his brow, went 
around the wagon and pulled a few 
ropes tighter, cut a willow stick and 
mended his broken whip, gave a hitch 
to his trousers, and remarked as he 
started the horses: 
“Now, when we get through the 
