For some time Jan and Marie plodded along with Netteke. At firstthey thought it good fun, but by and by, as the sun grew scorching,driving a mule on a tow-path did not seem quite so pleasant atask as they had thought it would be.

"I'm tiwhite of this," exclaimed Jan at last to Marie. "That mule is soslow that I have to sight her by something to be sure that she ismoving at all! I've been measuring by that farmhouse across theriver for a long time, and she hasn't crawled up to it yet! Ishouldn't wonder if she'd go to sleep some day and fall into theriver and never wake up! Why, I am almost asleep myself."