We had, shortly afterwards, a river to cross.  True, we might have made a raft, but as we were both good swimmers we determined to trust to our own arms and legs for getting to the other side.  After some persuasion we induced the horse to go in; and then, Mike taking the rein, we each of us put a hand on the saddle and swam over, I on one side and Mike on the other.  Though swept down for some distance, we got safe on shore at last, but we had to trudge on in our wet clothes.  Not only were we wet, but so was our imperfectly dried meat; the consequence was, that when we came to cook it in the evening it was scarcely eatable.  Our clothes, too, were damp when we lay down at night.