The horse approached him at a mad run, and his feet struck the loose planks of the bridge.  The brave boy then raised his big club, and brandished it with all his might in the air.  Probably the horse did not mean any thing very bad; was only frightened, and had no wicked intentions towards the lady; so that when a new danger menaced him in front, he stopped suddenly, and with so much violence as to throw the lady forward from her seat upon the dasher of the chaise.  He gave a long snort, which was his way of expressing his fear.  He was evidently astonished at the sudden barrier to his further progress, and commenced running back.

“Save me!” screamed the lady.

“I will, ma’am; don’t be scared!” replied Bobby, confidently, as he dropped his club, and grasped the bridle of the horse, just as he was on the point of whirling round to escape by the way he had come.

“Stop him!  Do stop him!” cried the lady.

“Whoa!” said Bobby, in gentle tones, as he patted the trembling horse on his neck.  “Whoa, good horse!  Be quiet!  Whoa!”

The animal, in his terror, kept running backward and forward; but Bobby persevered in his gentle treatment, and finally soothed him, so that he stood quiet enough for the lady to get out of the chaise.

“What a miracle that I am alive!” exclaimed she when she realized that she stood once more upon the firm earth.

“Yes, ma’am, it is lucky he didn’t break the chaise.  Whoa!  Good horse!  Stand quiet!”

“What a brave little fellow you are!” said the lady, as soon as she could recover her breath so as to express her admiration of Bobby’s bold act.

“O, I don’t mind it,” replied he, blushing like a rose in June.  “Did he run away with you?”

“No; my father left me in the chaise for a moment while he went into a store in the village, and a teamster who was passing by snapped his whip, which frightened Kate so that she started off at the top of her speed.  I was so terrified, that I screamed with all my might, which frightened her the more.  The more I screamed, the faster she ran.”

“I dare say.  Good horse!  Whoa, Kate!”

“She is a splendid creature; she never did such a thing before.  My father will think I am killed.”

By this time, Kate had become quite reasonable, and seemed very much obliged to Bobby for preventing her from doing mischief to her mistress; for she looked at the lady with a glance of satisfaction, which her deliverer interpreted as a promise to behave better in future.  He relaxed his grasp upon the bridle, patted her upon the neck, and said sundry pleasant things to encourage her in her assumed purpose of doing better.  Kate appeared to understand Bobby’s kind words, and declared as plainly as a horse could declare that she would be sober and tractable.

“Now, ma’am, if you will get into the chaise again, I think Kate will let me drive her down to the village.”