The first channel he came to was considerably deeper than when he forded it on the way out.  He noticed this, but only vaguely.  The next, however, was so deep that the water splashed in at the top of one of his boots.  He did notice that, because though he was not wearing his best clothes, he was not anxious to wet his “other ones.”  The extent of his wardrobe was in keeping with the size of his salary.

And the third channel was so wide and deep that he saw at once it could not be forded, unless he was willing to plunge above his waist.  This was provoking.  Now he realized that he had waited too long.  The tide had been flowing for almost an hour; it had flowed fast and, as he should have remembered, having been told, the principal channels were eight feet deep before the highest flats were covered.

He hurried along the edge, looking for a shallower place, but found none.  At last he reached the point of the flat he was on and saw, to his dismay, that here was the deepest spot yet, a hole, scoured out by a current like a mill race.  Turning, he saw, creeping rapidly and steadily together over the flat behind him, two lines of foam, one from each channel.  His retreat was cut off.

He was in for a wetting, that was sure.  However, there was no help for it, so he waded in.  The water filled his boots there, it gurgled about his hips, and beyond, as he could see, it seemed to grow deeper and deeper.  The current was surprisingly strong; he found it difficult to keep his footing in the soft sand.  It looked as though he must swim for it, and to swim in that tide would be no joke.

Then, from behind him, came a hail.  He turned and saw moving toward him through the shallow water now covering the flat beyond the next channel, the cart he had seen leave the shore by the packet wharf, and, later, on the outer bar.  The horse was jogging along, miniature geysers spouting beneath its hoofs.  The driver waved to him.

“Hold on, mate,” he called.  “Belay there.  Stay where you are.  I’ll be alongside in a shake.  Git dap, January!”

Ellery waded back to meet this welcome arrival.  The horse plunged into the next channel, surged through it, and emerged dripping.  The driver pulled the animal into a walk.

“Say,” he cried, “I’m cruisin’ your way; better get aboard, hadn’t you?  There’s kind of a heavy dew this mornin’.  Whoa, Bill!”

“Bill” or “January” stopped with apparent willingness.  The driver leaned down and extended a hand.  The minister took it and was pulled up to the seat.

“Whew!” he panted.  “I’m much obliged to you.  I guess you saved me from a ducking, if nothing worse.”

“Yes,” was the answer, “I wouldn’t wonder if I did.  This ain’t Saturday night and ’twould be against Trumet principles to take a bath any other time.  All taut, are you?  Good enough! then we’ll get under way.”  He flapped the reins and added, “G’long, Julius Caesar!”