The Voyage of the Rattletrap by Hayden Carruth
page 61 of 134 (45%)
page 61 of 134 (45%)
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went down the ravine, as its sides were high and the trees soon
became numerous. There was no road, nothing but a mere cattle-path, steep and stony in many places. We found the spring and watered all the horses, left Blacky and Browny, and went on after the hay with the pony, Jack leading her, and Ollie and I walking ahead with the lantern. It seemed a long way as we stumbled along in the darkness, all the time downhill. "I guess that man wasn't so liberal as he seemed," said Jack. "The pony will be able to carry just about enough hay up here to make Snoozer a bed." We plunged on, till at last the path became a little nearer level. It crossed a small open tract and then wound among bushes and low trees. Suddenly we saw something gleam in the light of the lantern, and stopped right on the river's bank. The water looked deep and dark, though not very wide. The current was swift and eddying. "We've passed the hay," I said. "Ir must be on that open flat we crossed." We went back, and, turning to the right, soon found it. I set the lantern down and began to pull hay from one of the stacks, when the pony made a sudden movement, struck the lantern with her foot, and smashed the globe to bits. "There," exclaimed Jack, "we'll have a fine time going up that badger-hole of a canyon in the dark!" But there was nothing else to do, and we made up two big |
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