of
plains.

Jim was nearly back to the town when a horse and rig appeared coming
rapidly toward him. He heard a shout and saw a man run from a house to
look. The horse was going very fast and shaking his head; something was
wrong. As it came toward him he saw that the driver was a young girl.
She was holding with all her strength to the reins, but the horse, a
tall, rawboned creature, was past control. Horses Jim surely understood.
He stepped well aside, then wheeling as the runaway went past, he ran
his best. For a little while a swift man can run with a horse, and in
that little while Jim was alongside, had seized the back of the seat,
and, with a spurt and a mighty leap, had tumbled into the rig beside the
driver. Instantly she held the reins toward him and gasped:

"I can't hold him; he's running away." Then, as Jim did not at once
seize the reins, she hurriedly said: "Here, take them."

"No," he said with amazing calmness, "you _can_ control him. Don't be
afraid. You hurt yourself pulling; ease up. Keep him straight, that's
all."

The sense of power in his presence and matter-of-fact tone restored her
nerve. She slackened a little on the reins. The horse had believed he
was running away; now he began to doubt it. She had been telegraphing
terror along the lines, and now she began to telegraph control.

"Speak to him, just as you would if he were all right," said Jim in a
low voice.

The girl had been pale and scared-looking, but she responded to the
suggestion and talked to the horse.

"Good boy, good boy, Stockings; keep it up," just as though she had been
putting him to his utmost.

There was open fareway straight ahead and little to fear so long as the
horse kept in the road and met no other rig. In a quarter of a mile he
began to slacken his pace.

"Will you take the lines now?" the girl asked shyly.

"No, it isn't necessary, and the horse would feel the change and think
he had beaten you."

"My arms are tired out," she said rather querulously.

"Then ease up for a while. Don't pull so hard."

She did so and was surprised that the horse did not speed away. In a
quarter of a mile more the victory was won. She gave the usual signal to
stop and Stockings came gently to a pause.

"Now," said Jim, "if you like, I'll take the lines. The battle is over.
You have won. From now on you will be able to drive that horse; but if I
had taken the lines he would have felt the change; he would have felt
that