The doctor came tearing down with a spirited bay, a magnificent stepper. As he drew along so that Bert could catch a glimpse of the mare's neck, he thrilled with delight. There was the thoroughbred's lacing of veins; the proud fling of her knees and the swell of her neck showed that she was far from doing her best. There was a wild light in her eyes. These were the fast teams of the town. All interest was centred in them. "Clear the track!" yelled the loafers. "The doc's good f'r 'em." "If she don't break." Albert was pulling at the sorrel heavily, absorbed in seeing, as well as he could for the flung snowballs, the doctor's mare draw slowly, foot by foot, past the blacks. Suddenly Brann gave a shrill yell and stood up in his sleigh. The gallant little bay broke and fell behind; Brann laughed, the blacks trotted on, their splendid pace unchanged. "Let the sorrel out!" yelled somebody. "Let him loose!" yelled Troutt on the corner, quivering with excitement. "Let him go!" Albert, remembering what the fellow had said, let the reins loose. The old sorrel's teeth came together with a snap; his head lowered and his tail rose; he shot abreast of the blacks. Maud, frightened into silence, covered her head with the robe to escape the flying snow. The sorrel drew steadily ahead and was passing the blacks when Brann turned. "Durn y'r old horse!" he yelled through his shut teeth, and laid the whip across the sorrel's hips. The blacks broke wildly, but, strange to say, the old sorrel increased his speed. Again Brann struck, but the lash fell on Bert's outstretched wrists. He did not see that the blacks were crowding him to the gutter, but he heard a warning cry. "Look _out_, there!" Before he could turn to look, the cutter seemed to be blown up by a bomb. He rose in the air like a vaulter, and when he fell the light went out. The next that he heard was a curious soft murmur of voices, out of which a sweet, agonized girl-voice broke: "Oh, where's the doctor? He's dead--oh, he's dead! _Can't_ you hurry?" Next came a quick, authoritative voice, still far away, and a hush followed it; then an imperative order: "Stand out o' the way! What do you think you can do by crowding on top of him?" "Stand back! stand back!" other voices called. Then he felt something cold on his scalp: they were taking his cap off and putting snow on his head; then the doctor--he knew him now--said: "Let me take him!" A dull, throbbing ache came into his head, and as this grew the noise of voices became more distinct, and he could hear sobbing. Then he opened his lids, but the glare of the sunlight struck them shut again; he saw only Maud's face, agonized, white, and wet with tears, looking down into his. They raised him a little more, and he again opened his eyes on the circle of hushed and excited men thronging about him. He saw Brann, with wild, scared face, standing in his cutter and peering over the heads of the crowd. "How do you feel now?" asked the doctor.