12 LUCY AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

' «¥ dén’t quite like the adventure myself,”, said
her father, “but there is no other alternative.”

“ Can’t we go back?” said her mother.

“Not very well. It is several miles back’ to
any place where we could spend the night, and
then we should have to come and ford this stream
to-morrow morning; so that we shouldn’t gain
much.”

“ Only it would be light,” said Lucy.

« And perhaps we might find some other way,”
said her mother.

“ We'll go down to the bank of the stream, and
see, at any rate,” said her father. And he ace
cordingly rode on. The rocks and precipices
were so high on each side of the road, and the
fiver itself so crooked, winding around among
them, that they could not see far before them.
‘At length, however, they came in sight of the
surface of the water, gleaming through the trees
before them; and in a few minutes more, they
came down to the bank of a very broad stream.

“O dear me!” said Lucy; “Iam sure I am
afraid to wade across such a big river as this.”

Her father said nothing, but he stopped the
horse upon the sand of the shore, and began to
look up and down over the water.