"Wait and we'll let you take our lantern," said Woody, and he hurried
down into the burrow, and came back with a large bottle, filled with
lightning bugs, which gave plenty of light. And it had a string on, to
carry it by. As Buddy took it, very thankfully, Waddy said he hoped he
would find the doctor at home.

Then Buddy started off again, but he hadn't gone much farther through
the woods before he heard another noise. This noise was a real loud one,
like some giant tramping up and down, and stamping his feet, and
suddenly there came a great snort, and the earth seemed to shake, and a
big, black thing jumped up in front of Buddy, scaring him frightfully.

He trembled so that the cork nearly came out of the bottle of lightning
bugs, and, if it had, the fireflies would have been spilled all over the
ground, worse than when you spill your ice cream cone--only it didn't
happen, I'm glad to say, but almost. Then the black shape stood still,
and a great voice called out:

"Where are you going with that lantern?"

"If you please, kind sir," answered the little boy guinea pig, "I'm
going for Dr. Possum for my papa, who has a terrible pain. The groundhog
boys lent me this lantern. But who are you, if you please, kind sir?"

"Why, I am Gup, the horse," was the answer. "So you are going for Dr.
Possum, eh? He is a friend of mine. I'm sorry if I frightened you. Yes,
I'm only Gup, the horse. You see, my name is Gup because there is a
little boy at our house, and he can't talk very plainly, and he calls me
'Gup' when he wants to say 'get up,' you see. However, it doesn't much
matter, and I don't mind.

"But, speaking of doctors, I know where Dr. Possum lives, and I'll take
you right to his house in less than no time. Besides, you and your
sister were so kind as to drive the cows home for the man who cut his
foot, and as he is a friend of mine I want to return your kindness to
him. Jump upon my back, Buddy."

"Oh, I'm afraid I'll fall," said Buddy, when he saw how high up Gup's
back was from the ground.

"Nonsense!" exclaimed the horse. "I wouldn't let you fall for the
world. Here, hold up your firefly lantern so you can see, climb upon
that low stump, and then you can jump on my back. I'll stand still, and
then I'll take you right to Dr. Possum's house."

So Buddy got up on Gup's back. It was the first time he had ever ridden
a horse or been up so high, and, of course, for a while, he was
frightened. But Gup told him just