"We didn't mean to," said Dick. "One of the brakes went out of commission, and I couldn't hold the car with the other two, though they're supposed to be able to. Must be something wrong with 'em. I'm going to have 'em looked at when we get out of here." "If we ever do," suggested Innis. "We sure are stuck fast." "That's awful sticky mud," volunteered the flagman. "Didn't Bill Hockey, at the top of the hill, warn you about this bridge?" "Yes, but it was too late, then, to stop," answered Dick. "Well, I'm here to let only light loads over the bridge," the man went on. "It'll hold a horse and carriage, but not much else. Your auto would sure have gone through it." "Then I'm glad we didn't chance it," remarked Paul. "The county is getting bids on having a new bridge built, but when it'll be done nobody seems to know," said the man. "I don't s'pose you mind, as long as you have a job here flagging," suggested Innis, with a smile. "Well, 'tain't so much fun in wet weather. I'm thinkin' of havin' a shelter made. But you sure are stuck fast. You'd better go over and see if you can hire some horses. There's a farm just around the turn of the road. Porter Hanson owns it, and he's got a couple of teams." "I guess it will take more than two teams to get us out," said Dick. "I'd rather trust to a block and fall. Could I get one around here, do you imagine?" "You might. Some of the farmers has 'em." "It's going to be quite a problem even at that," said Paul, looking across to the other shore with a critical eye. "We can't get a very good hold for the block." "Then we'll have to make one," decided Dick. "Fellows, we'll pretend this is one of the engineering problems we used to get at Kentfield, and we'll see how we can work it out. "We've got a weight here to move of approximately four thousand pounds, and the distance, up to the road, is about twenty-five feet. Innis, how much moving force do we require?" "Not prepared!" answered the cadet, giving one of the stock answers of the class room, and his chums laughed. "Where are you fellows from?" asked the man with the flag. "New York," answered Dick, which was true enough, and he did not want to go into details about himself and his chums. "We're students on our vacation." "Well, it looks as though you were goin' to get your feet wet," remarked the bridge guardian with a chuckle. "If you want to wait I'll go down the creek a ways, and borrow a boat. But you'll have to warn any teams, heavier than a single carriage, not to go over the bridge." "All right--we will," agreed Dick. "And we'll pay you for your trouble. We'll probably need a boat anyhow when we start to haul the car up on dry land again." "Well, shall we go ashore?" asked Paul, as their new friend started off down the bank of the stream. "And get our feet wet doing it," added Innis. "I'm going to wade barefoot, anyhow," and he prepared to take off his shoes.