h to
bring them to a stop. On they raced, and, as the meadow was a large
one, they had plenty of room. Alice might be able to guide them
until they tired themselves out, but there was danger that they would
turn into a fence, or that the machine would overturn and crush her
under it.

She had half a notion to leap from the iron seat, and trust to
falling on the soft earth. But she feared she might become entangled
in the reins, or that she would slip, and fall under the flying feet
of the horses, or even on the clattering set of knives. And of these
last she well knew the danger, for Sandy had warned her of them. So
she decided she would keep her seat as long as she could.

Sandy was racing up behind her. Above the thud of the horses' hoofs,
and the shrill sound of the clicking knives, Alice could hear him
coming on, trying to save her. And how she prayed that he would be in
time.

The mowing machine was opposite Ruth now, who had stepped back out of
the way of harm. And as Alice passed her sister in the machine the
latter cried:

"Oh, Alice! If you should be hurt!" There was the sound of tears in
her voice.

Alice did not answer. She had all she could do to look after the
plunging horses.

Sandy was not at such a disadvantage in his race as at first it would
seem. He was light on his feet, and a good runner, though much
tramping over plowed fields and rough hills had given him a rather
clumsy gait in walking.

But the horses were not built for racing, either, and they were
dragging a heavy machine on soft ground. The iron wheels of the
reaper were made with projections, to enable them to bite deeper into
the earth, and thus turn the gears that operated the knives. And
these iron wheels were a heavy drag.

So it is not surprising that, after a comparatively short run, the
horses slackened their pace.

"Sit down! I'm comin'!" cried Sandy, and now Alice could hear him
panting behind her.

In another instant she felt a jar on the machine, and then someone
reached over her shoulder, and took the reins from her hands.

"I'll pull 'em down!" cried Sandy, balancing himself on a part of the
machine, back of the seat on which Alice was riding.

The young farmer sawed hard on the lines and this, added to the fact
that they had had enough of the hard run, caused the animals to
slacken speed. They slowed down to a trot, and then to a walk,
finally coming to a halt. And just in time, too, for right in front
of the