"The horse is running away with the child. Stop her, stop her," cried
Cousin Lulu in alarm.
Her warning came too late.
They were now opposite the Fair grounds, which had a very high fence
surrounding them. There were two gates, one for pedestrians and the
other for carriages.
Dollie swerved in at the foot passageway and her helpless rider could
not stop her. People scattered in every direction before the runaway
horse. Even the gate-keeper stepped aside, dropping his tickets in his
fright.
"Oh, what shall we do? She'll surely be killed. She'll be dragged
from her horse. Her dress has caught on the gate," cried Cousin Lulu
with her heart in her mouth.
Beth let go the reins and held with one hand to the saddle pommel, and
with the other to Dollie's mane. This saved her. Her skirt tore loose
from the gate. Onward flew horse and child.
Cousin Lulu and her escort hastened after through the driveway. Far
ahead of them they saw Dollie and Beth flying towards the race track
with lightning speed.
Mr. Davenport chanced to come from the Fair building at this very
minute.
"Oh, Uncle James," screamed Lulu, "Dollie is running away with Beth."
He hardly understood, but saw the runaway horse now nearing the race
track and hastened after it.
With the long memory of a horse, Dollie recognized the track as a scene
of bygone triumphs, and made straight for it. No rider urged her on as
of old, no rivals were by her side; but Dollie of her own accord
started around that course at a breakneck speed with a little girl
clinging wildly to her mane.
People were already gathering on the grandstand and they held their
breath for very fear, Beth held hers also. Dollie needed all of her
breath for her solitary run. On, on, she flew. Beth clung closer,
while people sprang to their feet in their anxiety over the outcome.
By this time Beth was hatless. Her long curls and the clumsy torn
skirt were flying backwards.
On, on they came. People leaned far over the stand. Jockeys ran out
on the track. One of them cried enthusiastically:
"It is a beautiful run if only the little one isn't killed."
Dollie in truth was making a wonderful run for a horse that had no
competition. With long swinging strides she came around the track, and
her speed remained unabated. If people had not been so fearful for the
child's life, some one might have thought to time Dollie, and it is
very probable that it would then have been proved that she was fully
equaling her record if she was not breaking it.
Mr. Davenport ran up the track in an agony of fear, ready to head off
the runaway animal if it seemed advisable. The jockeys followed in his
wake.
"That is the child's father. How terrible it must be for him," said
some of the spectators.
Dollie's speed remained unabated.
When she was three-quarters of the way around, Mr. Davenport was almost
within hailing distance of his brave little girl who still clung to the
excited horse.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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