FORDING. . 13

“It looks very shallow,” said he.

“ What is shallow, sir?” said Lucy.
"Why, not deep,” replied her father.

‘‘ What did the man mean by the rips?” asked —
. Lucy’s mother.

“ He meant the ripples in the water there, all
across the stream, just below us.” So saying,
Lucy’s father pointed, and showed Lucy and her |
mother where the water was rough, being full of
little waves, which tumbled along, making a sort
of rippling noise. These ripples extended quite
across the stream just below where they were, .
But above them, the surface of the water was
calm and smooth, like glass. This calm surface
also, like the ripples below, extended across from.
shore to shore.

The sun had been set for some time, but stil]
there was a great deal of light in the western part
of the sky. This light shone upon the water, and
enabled them to see, pretty distinctly, the line
of the rips, where the man had said that they
“must go.

“I wouldn’t go through the waves, father,” said
Lucy ; “I would go where the water is smooth.”

“No,” said her father ; we'll follow the direc-
tons.”

As he said this, he began to drive the horse into

2