foot foremost, and her ears were laid back close to her head:
though that, by reason of the darkness, Professor Valeyon could not see.
He and Dolly had travelled this road in company so often, however, and
every turn and dip was so well known to him, that it never would have
occurred to him to feel any anxiety. Beyond keeping a firm hold of the
reins, he let the mare have her own way.

In a few minutes the willow stretch was passed, and they began to
stretch with vigorous swing up the slope. Dolly's haunches were visible,
working below in the darkness, and occasionally a spark of fire was
struck from the rock by her hoof. Really she was doing well to-night. As
they topped the brow of the slope, the professor tightened the reins a
little. It wouldn't do to let the old mare overwork herself. But,
instead of slackening her pace, she sprang forward more swiftly than
ever.

"That's odd!" murmured the old gentleman. "Can any thing be the matter,
I wonder?" and he gave another steady pull on the reins. The wagon was
jerked forward with such a wrench as almost to throw him backward. There
was no doubt that something was the matter, now.

By this time they were within a quarter of a mile of the Parsonage, and
rapidly approaching the sharp bend around the rocky spur of the hill.
Dolly's skimming hind-legs spurned the road faster and faster, and the
fences flickered by in a terrible hurry. They whisked around the curve
with a sharp, grating sound of the wheels on the rock, and the Parsonage
lay but a short distance ahead. Suddenly a white object seemed to rise
out of the road not more than a hundred yards in advance. Dolly, with
the bit caught vigorously between her teeth, stretched her neck and head
out and ran. Professor Valeyon, bracing himself with his feet against
the dash-board, leaned back with his whole weight and sawed the reins
right and left. When within a few yards of the white object--which
seemed to have fluttered back to one side of the road--his right rein
broke: he lost his balance and fell over backward into the bottom of the
waggon, while Dolly, quite unrestrained, dashed on madly.

The professor had just made up his mind that he stood very little chance
of seeing Abbie or his daughters again, when he felt the onward rush
suddenly modified. There were a pawing and snorting, an irregular jerk
or two, and then a dead stop. The old gentleman picked himself up and
descended to the ground uninjured beyond a few s