ht arm, and he never used that
eye again; none the less he kept his hold on her. Then I smote him again
on the jaw, and caught the little maid up by her right hand, and laid
her on the saddle in front of me; while the horse being giddy and
staggered with blows, and foiled of his spite, ran backward. Ruth's wits
were gone; and she lay before me, in such a helpless and senseless way
that I could have killed vile Kickums. I struck the spurs into him past
the rowels, and away he went at full gallop; while I had enough to do to
hold on, with the little girl lying in front of me. But I called to the
men who were flocking around, to send up a surgeon, as quick as could
be, to Master Reuben Huckaback's.

The moment I brought my right arm to bear, the vicious horse had no
chance with me; and if ever a horse was well paid for spite, Kickums
had his change that day. The bridle would almost have held a whale and
I drew on it so that his lower jaw was well-nigh broken from him; while
with both spurs I tore his flanks, and he learned a little lesson.
There are times when a man is more vicious than any horse may vie with.
Therefore by the time we had reached Uncle Reuben's house at the top of
the hill, the bad horse was only too happy to stop; every string of his
body was trembling, and his head hanging down with impotence. I leaped
from his back at once, and carried the maiden into her own sweet room.

Now Cousin Ruth was recovering softly from her fright and faintness; and
the volley of the wind from galloping so had made her little ears quite
pink, and shaken her locks all round her. But any one who might wish
to see a comely sight and a moving one, need only have looked at Ruth
Huckaback, when she learned (and imagined yet more than it was) the
manner of her little ride with me. Her hair was of a hazel-brown, and
full of waving readiness; and with no concealment of the trick, she
spread it over her eyes and face. Being so delighted with her, and so
glad to see her safe, I kissed her through the thick of it, as a cousin
has a right to do; yea, and ought to do, with gravity.

'Darling,' I said; 'he has bitten you dreadfully: show me your poor arm,
dear.'

She pulled up her sleeve in the simplest manner, rather to look at it
herself, than to show me where the wound was. Her sleeve was of dark
blue Taunton staple; and her white arm shone, coming out of it, as round
and plump and velvety, as a stalk of asparagus, newly fetched out o