We said and did nothing until we had driven out of sight and earshot . Then Kate laid down the reins and laughed until the tears came . `` Oh , Phil , Phil , will you ever forget this adventure ? '' she gasped . `` I shall never forget Mrs. Matilda Pitman , '' I said emphatically . We had no further adventures that day . Robert Chapman had fixed the tongue so well -- probably under Mrs. Matilda Pitman 's watchful eyes -- that we could drive as fast as we liked ; and we made good progress . But when we pitched camp that night Kate scanned the sky with an anxious expression . `` I do n't like the look of it , '' she said . `` I 'm afraid we 're going to have a bad day tomorrow . '' * * * * * We had . When we awakened in the morning rain was pouring down . This in itself might not have prevented us from travelling , but the state of the trail did . It had been raining the greater part of the night and the trail was little more than a ditch of slimy , greasy , sticky mud . If we could have stayed in the tent the whole time it would not have been quite so bad . But we had to go out twice to take the ponies to the nearest pond and water them ; moreover , we had to collect pea vines for them , which was not an agreeable occupation in a pouring rain . The day was very cold too , but fortunately there was plenty of dead poplar right by our camp . We kept a good fire on in the camp stove and were quite dry and comfortable as long as we stayed inside . Even when we had to go out we did not get very wet , as we were well protected . But it was a long dreary day .
Finally when the dark came down and supper was over XXXXX grew quite desperate .
Chapman Kate Pitman day earshot fire morning night pea right