By the time that Satan came down from his plunge Dick had a firm seat and a strong hand on the bridle.  But Satan was a tough-mouthed animal.  His unlooked-for antics had caused the horses just ahead to swerve.

Through the scattering four in front plunged Satan, fire in his eyes, his nostrils quivering.

Captain Albutt took the situation in at once.

“Squad halt!” he roared.  Be cool, Mr. Prescott!  Bring your mount down with tact, not brute force.

Satan, having taken the bit between his teeth, went tearing around the tan-bark, not in the least minding the tight hold that his rider had on the bridle, or the way that the bit cut into his mouth.  Satan blamed his own rider for that sharp, stinging jab, and he meant to unseat that rider.

Dick kept perfectly cool, though he realized much of his own great peril with this infuriated beast.

Captain Albutt, watching closely, became anxious when he saw that the cadet was failing in bringing down the temper of the infuriated beast.

Satan was more than furious; he was crafty.  Master of many tricks, and with a record for injuring many a rider in the past, the animal dashed about the tan-bark, seeking some way of throwing his rider.

His uneasiness increasing, Captain Albutt put spurs to his own mount and went after Satan.

“Steady, Mr. Prescott,” admonished the cavalry officer, riding close.  I’ll soon have a hand on your bridle, too.

Yet every time that Captain Albutt rode close, Satan waited until just the right instant, then swerved violently, snatching his head away from the risk of capture.

So villainous were these swerves that Dick had several narrow escapes from being unhorsed.  A man of less skill would have been.  At first the other members of the squad looked on only with amused interest.  When, however, they caught the grave look on the captain’s face, they began to comprehend how serious the situation was.

Satan, finding other devices for throwing his rider to be useless, soon resorted to the most wicked trick known to the equine mind.  He reared, intent on throwing himself over backward, crushing his rider beneath him.

Captain Albutt reached the spot at a gallop, just in the nick of time.  Standing in his stirrups, he caught one side of the bridle just in time to pull the horse’s head down.

But, foiled in this attempt, Satan allowed his front feet to come down.  Close to the ground the brute lowered its head, kicking up high with his hind heels.  This, accompanied by a “worming” motion, sent Prescott flying from his saddle.

He made an unavoidable plunge over the animal’s head.

“Let go your bridle!” roared Captain Albutt.

In the same instant the cavalry officer leaped from his own saddle.

Over came Cadet Prescott, turning a somersault in the air.

Albutt had jumped in order to catch the cadet.  It all happened so quickly, however, that the cavalry officer had chance only to catch the cadets shoulders.  Had it not been for that, Prescott would have struck fully on his back.