It was no child's play. Every inch of the way had its difficulties. The
poor brutes knew the swim was beyond them; and as the boat, pulling
steadily on, dragged them from the shallows into the deeper water, they
plunged and snorted in fear, until they found themselves swimming, and
were obliged to give all their attention to keeping themselves afloat.
Some required little assistance when once off their feet; just a slow,
steady pull from the oars, and a taut enough halter to lean on in the
tight places. But others rolled over like logs when the full force of the
current struck them, threatening to drag the boat under, as it and the
horse raced away down stream with the oarsmen straining their utmost.
It was hard enough work for the oarsmen; but the seat of honour was in
the stern of the boat, and no man filled it better than the transformed
Tam. Alert and full of resource, with one hand on the tiller, he leaned
over the boat, lengthening or shortening rope for the halter, and
regulating the speed of the oarsmen with unerring judgment; giving a
staunch swimmer time and a short rope to lean on, or literally dragging
the faint-hearted across at full speed; careful then only of one thing:
to keep the head above water. Never again would I judge a man by one of
his failings.
There were ten horses in all to cross, and at the end of two hours' hard
pulling there was only one left to come - old Roper.
Mac took the halter into his own hands there was no one else worthy -
and, slipping into the stern of the boat, spoke first to the horse and
then to the oarsmen; and as the boat glided forward, the noble, trusting
old horse - confident that his long-tried human friend would set him no
impossible task - came quietly through the shallows, sniffing questions at
the half-submerged bushes.
"Give him time!" Mac called. "Let him think it out," as step by step
Roper followed, the halter running slack on the water. When almost out
of his depth, he paused just a moment, then, obeying the tightening rope,
lifted himself to the flood and struck firmly and bravely out.
Staunchly he and Mac dealt with the current: taking time and approaching
it quietly, meeting it with taut rope and unflinching nerve, drifting for
a few breaths to judge its force; then, nothing daunted, they battled
forward, stroke after stroke, and won across without once pulling the
boat out of its course.
