CHAPTER VIII.--A ROAD ADVENTURE.
The morning following the girls' arrival, Mr. Willing and Mr. Ashton,who was feeling much better, were seated with the girls around thebreakfast table.
"Mabel and I are going to town this morning," said Shirley.
"All right," said Mr. Willing. "I'll tell Frank to hitch up. What timewill you be ready?"
"Ten o'clock will be early enough, I reckon," said Shirley. "We probablywon't be home until late this afternoon."
It was the first time the girls had been in the little town of Paris,except for a few minutes on their way back from Illinois, since schoolhad closed for the summer vacation. Therefore, they called on some oftheir girl friends, and spent a very pleasant day.
They did some shopping and it was after five o'clock when they startedfor home.
"It looks as though there was going to be a storm," said thelivery-stable keeper, where they had left their horse.
Mabel glanced at the sky. Huge clouds were gathering in the west.
"They look like wind clouds," said Mabel.
"You had better wait," said the stableman. "You will be caught in thestorm."
"Oh, I think we'll make it," said Shirley. "Besides, Dad expects us intime for supper."
"Telephone him," said the man.
"No," said Shirley, "we'll run the risk."
"Well, all right," was the reply, "but you had better hurry."
Shirley shook out the reins, and touched the horse lightly with herwhip. The animal started off at a rapid trot.
It was a good three miles home, and Mabel, glancing once more at thesky, urged Shirley to hurry.
"We'll get a good soaking," she said.
"It won't hurt us any," said Shirley. "I'm sure I won't melt, and Idon't think you will."
They continued up Main Street, and finally reached the outskirts of thetown.
"Guess we can go a little faster now," said Shirley, and touched thehorse with her whip.
At that moment there came a brilliant flash of lightning, followed by aterrific peal of thunder. The horse shied and broke into a gallop.
Shirley tightened her hold on the reins, and, with an effort, succeededin pulling him down to a trot again.
"Well, here's where we turn off, anyhow," said Shirley. "If the rainwill hold off for twenty minutes we will be all right."
"And then, just as they turned onto the Bethlehem pike, darknessenveloped them, shutting out the sight of the road ahead. It descendedso suddenly and unexpectedly that Mabel cried out in alarm.
"Don't be frightened," said Shirley in a low voice. "I know the road andcan drive just as well in the dark."
Nevertheless she was forced to check the horse slightly, and thisrequired great effort, for the animal, badly frightened, was trying tobolt.
Suddenly Shirley's hat went flying from her head, as the wind wasblowing a gale. Mabel, her hands free, caught hers as it left her head.
"Mine's gone," cried Shirley.
"Shall we stop and get it?" asked Mabel, raising her voice to makeherself heard above the roaring wind.
"I should say not," was the reply. "We'll get home just as quick as wecan."
Their horse, at this moment, was puffing up a steep hill. The wind wasblowing fiercely. The girls felt a few drops of rain upon their faces.
And then, above the roaring of the wind, came another sound--the soundof a horse coming rapidly toward them. Mabel heard it first, and calledto Shirley. Shirley pulled as far to the right as she felt was safe,being absolutely unable to see in the darkness.
A sudden flash of lightning lit the scene before them, and Mabel utteredan involuntary cry of fear.
Not fifty yards away, and bearing down on them, came a galloping horse.The one flash had permitted the girls to see that he was running wild.There was no one in the buggy.
Shirley pulled desperately upon the right rein, turning her horsesharply from the road. Her action undoubtedly saved them from seriousinjury, but it was not quick enough to entirely avert disaster.
There was a sudden crash, and both girls felt the left side of the buggysink and then crash to the ground. The wheel of the other and heaviervehicle had smashed the two left-hand wheels and carried them away. Theother buggy had been damaged in the same manner, but the frightenedhorse did not pause in his wild race, and dashed on down the road,dragging the broken buggy after him. In spite of the accident, Shirleymaintained a firm grip on the reins, and when the left side of the buggywent down to the ground she managed to bring her horse to a stop almostat once.
But Mabel was not so fortunate. When the buggy had collapsed she wasthrown out, and badly shaken when she came in contact with the hardground.
She pulled herself to her feet dizzily and stood still. Some distancedown the road she could hear the bumping of Shirley's buggy, and sheheard it finally come to a stop. She could not see a foot in front ofher, but started slowly in the direction she knew Shirley must be.
As soon as the horse stopped, Shirley called to Mabel not to befrightened. Receiving no response, she felt along the seat beside her.Mabel was not there.
Jumping quickly from the damaged buggy, unmindful of the horse, Shirleyturned and hurried in the direction from which she had come. Twice shecalled and received no response. The third time she thought she heardMabel.
"Here I am," screamed Mabel, trying to make herself heard above thehowling wind.
A moment later they found each other.
"Are you much hurt?" Shirley asked her friend anxiously.
"No," said Mabel. "I am pretty well shaken up, but I am all right. Andyou?"
"Perfectly safe," replied Shirley. "The question now is what to do."
Still the rain held off, only a few drops falling occasionally but thewind blew violently.
"We had better climb up on Cato and ride home that way," said Mabel.(Cato was their horse.)
"A good idea," spoke Shirley. "Come!"
She led the way to where she thought Cato would be standing, but shecould not find him.
"Strange," she told herself. "I am sure it was here that I stopped him."
Just then there came another flash of lightning, and far down the road,they saw Cato and the broken buggy making rapidly for home.
In spite of the serious situation, Shirley laughed.
"What do you think of that?" she exclaimed. "Cato has run away and leftus. I'll speak to him about it when we get home."
"Well, we must not stand here," said Mabel impatiently. "We can walkhome in half an hour. Let's start."
"I suppose that is the best way," said Shirley.
They started down the road, walking rapidly.
And now it began to rain. Lightning flashed and terrific peals ofthunder reverberated through the air. By no means of timid dispositions,both girls, nevertheless, became nervous.
"Hadn't we better stop under one of these trees?" asked Mabel.
"No," Shirley decided instantly. "I have heard it is dangerous in anelectric storm. Lightning may strike the tree. We are safer in themiddle of the pike, even if we do get soaking wet."
The rain fell in torrents, and both girls by this time were drenched tothe skin.
They hurried down a steep declivity in the road. There was one more hillto climb, and then the long walk from the pike to the house.
They reached the top of the hill ten minutes later and turned in at thefirst gate.
"I thought Cato would be here," said Shirley.
But there was no sign of horse or buggy.
The two girls hurried down the road, now muddy from the downpour. It washard walking, and they made slow progress.
"I'll bet the creek has overflowed," said Shirley. "If so, we will wadepart of the way."
"I am very much afraid you are right," said Mabel.
Now they came to the second gate, and passed through it. They descendedthe little hill toward the creek slowly, for there was no telling howhigh the water might be.
It was good they had been so cautio
us. They had hardly walked ten paceswhen Shirley drew back suddenly. She had come upon water.
"My gracious," she exclaimed. "I had no idea the water could rise sohigh in such a short time."
"I doubt if we can get across," said Mabel.
Shirley took Mabel by the hand.
"We'll try," she said briefly.
Very slowly they continued their way.
The water rose to their shoe tops, then to their knees, and still theywent on.
"It can't be much deeper," said Mabel.
"I don't know," said Shirley. "I have never seen it this high, but Ihave heard Dad say that forty years ago it rose until it was impossibleto cross for two days."
The water had now reached their waists, and was still rising.Fortunately there was no current to speak of, so there was little dangerso long as they kept their heads above water.
But when the water reached their armpits and continued to rise, Shirleyturned back.
"It's no use," she said.