But like a flash, the officers shouted: "Cut away those mules! Jump in there!" and amid other expletives the men plunged in, and feeling around under the water cut the poor animals loose and they began to crawl out on the other bank.

I drew a long breath, for I thought the ten mules were drowned.
The guide picked his way over again to the other side and caught them up, and then I began to wonder how on earth we should ever get across.
There lay the heavy army wagon, deep mired in the middle of the stream, and what did I see?
Our army chests, floating away down the river.

I cried out: "Oh! do save our chests!" "They're all right, we'll get them presently," said Jack.

It seemed a long time to me, before the soldiers could get them to the bank, which they did, with the aid of stout ropes.
All our worldly goods were in those chests, and I knew they were soaked wet and probably ruined; but, after all, what did it matter, in the face of the serious problem which confronted us?
In the meantime, some of the men had floated the other boxes and trunks out of the wagon back to the shore, and were busy taking the huge vehicle apart.

Any one who knows the size of an army wagon will realize that this was hard work, especially as the wagon was mired, and nearly submerged.