stoutest heart tremble with terror.

Grasping a broken rail as he leaped over the fence, he planted himself
in the middle of the bridge, which was not more than half as wide as
the road at each end of it, to await the coming of the furious animal.
On he came, and the piercing shrieks of the affrighted lady nerved him
to the performance of his perilous duty.

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