110 CAROLINE.

He reaches the island. He attempts to go on.

 

 

The current was very rapid, and in one place it was so
deep that the horse was floated off from his feet, and
obliged toswim. Mr. Woodman thought that the horse
was going to be carried down the stream, and was on the
point of getting off from his back and swimming him-
self for the shore, but the horse, a moment afterward,
got over the deep place, and regained his footing, and so
waded on the rest of the way to the island.

“ Mr. Woodman stopped a little while on the island to
let the horse rest, and then was very much in doubt
whether he should undertake to cross the other channel
or not. All this time he sat on a rock, holding his horse
by the bridle, while Jasper sat before him, looking up into
his face, and wondering what he was going to do.

“Mr. Woodman finally concluded that he would try
the other channel. He thought it was somewhat uncer-
tain whether he could get across, but he concluded that if
he should find the water too deep and the current too
rapid, he would turn the horse round and swim back to
the island again. So he mounted his horse and rode
down to the brink of the water. Jasper looked, and ran
back and forth, more than he had done before.

“< You don’t like it, Jasper, I see,’ said Mr. Woodman,
‘but I believe I will try it, nevertheless.’

“So he rode into the water.”

‘What a foolish man!” said Robin.

“ Fis plan was,” said Beechnut, “ to ride upon the horse
until it became too deep to ride any longer, and then to
get off and swim by the side of the horse, until he should
get to where he could touch bottom again. And mas-
much as in swimming across the deep place, it would not
be possible for him to hold the horse’s bridle in his hand,