"Oh, come ahead, we can try it, anyway," returned Tom, who, in spite
of the recent happenings, was as anxious as ever to get to the
seminary and see Nellie.

Leaving the countryman at his self-appointed task of putting a barrier
across the road-- and he had said that he would also, get over to the
other side of the river somehow and put a barrier there-- the Rover
boys swung around once again in their touring car, and headed for the
side road which had been mentioned to them. Soon they reached what was
known as "The Shallows," a spot where the river broadened out, and was
filled with loose stones and sandbars.

By the rays from the headlights, which they now turned on to their
fullest extent, the car was guided into the water. At the edge, they
saw several tracks made, undoubtedly, by wagons, and one track
evidently made by the anti-skid tires of an automobile.

"Well, if one auto got through, we ought to be able to make it,"
remarked Tom, grimly.

"Better take it on low gear," suggested his brother. "We can't see in
this water, and we may go down in a hole before we know it."

Slowly and cautiously, Tom guided the machine along, trying to keep as
much as possible to the high points of the various sandbars which ran
in a diagonal direction to the stream itself. Once or twice they
bumped over some rather large stones, and once they went into a hollow
which was somewhat deeper than expected, but, with it all, they
managed to keep the working parts of the car above the surface of the