“Get out of the way! You’ll scare him into the river!” howled the badly-rattled Lef, as he continued to saw away at the lines as if for dear life. That was just what Frank thought would be the best thing that could happen. As it was, an upset might cost one or both lives, if the occupants of the swaying vehicle were hurled upon the rocks at the side of the road. Instead of getting out of the way, as Lef seemed to want, he stood as if rooted there. He even did more, for he snatched off his hat and waved it in order to make the horse sheer. “Stop that, you fool!” Lef fairly shrieked these words. He evidently thought Frank had taken leave of his senses, and would bring about a disaster. On the contrary, the boy in the road had calculated wisely, and saw that there was a chance of bringing that wild race to a halt without a terrible smash. It turned out exactly as Frank had figured. The animal, startled at seeing this figure in the middle of the road, with wildly waving arms, and uttering hoarse shouts, jumped to one side. There was the hill to the right, and hence the only way in which the beast could leave the road was in the direction of the river. It lay close to the thoroughfare at this point; indeed, passersby had always been in the habit of pulling up right there to admire the magnificent view up and down the romantic looking stream. [Illustration: HE WAVED HIS HAT IN ORDER TO MAKE THE HORSE SHEER. _Columbia High on the Diamond._ _Page 108._] Horse and vehicle shot over the bank, and with a terrific splash vanished in the swirling water. It seemed too bad that necessity compelled the sacrifice of that much admired red dress, Frank thought, but there was no other way. “They’ll drown! Oh! my, what a splash! Frank, run! run!” It was folly for Ralph to shout after this fashion, for his companion was on the jump even before the horse had touched the surface of the river. Frank had eyes for only one thing, and that the figure of Minnie. As he ran he saw the vehicle behind the swimming horse. Lef was hanging to it desperately, as badly frightened a boy as ever lived; for, strange to say, he could not swim a stroke, having a mortal dread of water. He was trying to yell something, but had swallowed so much of the river that his words were next to unintelligible. But Frank had by now discovered another struggling figure a little back of the vehicle and horse. “It’s Minnie!” was what his white lips framed as he madly jumped down the bank, tearing off his coat as he went. How he ever managed to free his feet from the low shoes he was wearing, Frank never knew, for he had not the faintest recollection of doing anything of this sort.