Part 19 (2/2)

They had met some one! Rodney stopped his horse and listened. A horse whinnied, and Nat lifted his head to reply when a touch from the spur changed his mind.

A clear voice rang out, ”Back, you knaves! Take your hands off that bridle!”

A girl's scream and sounds of a struggle came to the lad's ears, and he spurred ahead.

Near the corners of the roads, though now dusk had fallen, he discerned two riders on horses that were rearing and plunging. One of the riders, a man, was plying his whip over the head of the fellow who clung to his bridle; on the other horse was a girl struggling with a rascal who was trying to pull her from the animal's back. Rodney turned his attention to this one.

Not daring to fire, through fear of hitting the girl, he rode straight at the miscreant and, clubbing his pistol, struck him over the head what proved to be but a slight blow, for the man dodged, but his hold was broken and he staggered back, and Nat trampled over him. His accomplice, seeing this, fled. The girl hung by the side of her horse, one foot in the stirrup and both hands clutching his mane. Thoroughly frightened, he plunged ahead and ran wildly down the road.

”She will be dashed to death!” was the thought which flashed through Rodney's mind and, wheeling his horse, he spurred after the fleeing thoroughbred, the girl's companion galloping behind.

The spirit of a racing ancestry, and the cruel rowels, drove Nat close on the flanks of the runaway. Could he overtake and pa.s.s him?

The girl was unable to regain her seat, and at every leap of her horse was tossed, now almost touching the ground, and again almost as high as the horse's back. Could she retain her grip until Rodney might reach the bridle rein?

Every moment the boy expected to see her dashed to the ground and trampled to death under the hoofs of the running horses. He shut his eyes for an instant, and then urged faithful Nat to the utmost, and could feel his muscles respond to the strain.

Inch by inch, Nat gained on the runaway. The boy leaned far out to seize the loose bridle rein. He could not quite reach it; another foot and he would have it within his grasp. Ah! Now he gripped it and pulled both horses to a stop, crying, ”Are you hurt?”

”I--I'm not--sure. Not seriously, I think; somewhat like Doctor Atterbury's prescriptions, 'well shaken before taken.'”

It was Lisbeth's voice!

”Steady, Nat. Here, let me help. Isn't your ankle wrenched? If I'd known who it was I'd been scared worse than I was.”

”Why, Rodney Allison! Where in the world did you come from? I was wis.h.i.+ng some knight errant would happen along to stop Firefly; but I never imagined you in that role. I--I think you'll have to help me up, my ankle is beginning to complain at the rough treatment.”

Rodney lifted Lisbeth into her saddle just as her escort and Black Tom rode up.

”Mr. Enderwood, this is my old playmate, Rodney Allison. He and I always were getting into sc.r.a.pes. I'm going to ask him to sell Nat to father so my escorts can have as good a horse as Firefly. The one you have, Mr. Enderwood, has seen his best days and was no match for mine.

But for you, Nat, I should have had a longer ride than--would have been agreeable.” There was a little catch in her voice.

”So Nat gets all the glory and Enderwood is excused for being behind,”

thought Rodney, not altogether pleased, and he scarcely heard the old darky saying by way of apology: ”I suttinly hab no 'scuse on 'count o'

hoss. Don' put no nose front o' yo', Moleskin,” he said, patting the sleek neck of the fiery hunter he rode. ”I'se 'lowin' Tom's room's better'n his comp'ny, an' was sojerin' along. But I'se boun' ter say, Ma.r.s.e Rodney, I couldn' done better myse'f.”

”That's Rodney's way of doing things, you know, Tom,” said Lisbeth, and the boy's feelings were somewhat soothed by the balm in her words.

”Having rescued the maid,” she said, turning to him, ”it's now your duty to return with her to the castle, and explain to her papa that it was none of her fault, and afford us all opportunity to thank you properly, while Aunt Betty gets out her bandages.”

”I thank you, but, you see, I've made arrangements to stay over the night at Roscomes' and they are expecting me. I supped there and then thought I wanted to see the view from the hill, once more. Now I must return.”

”So you were going through Pryndale without calling on your old friends.”

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