Chums of the Camp Fire | Page 7

for two whole seasons, and with whom he had lately
had a little falling out.
He brushed his long football hair away from his eyes, and looked again.
Yes, old Bill must have taken the bit between his teeth, if he had any
left, and was renewing his youthful days; for they used to tell great
stories about his having once upon a time been a clever race
horse--about thirty-odd years ago, some people put it.
Steve started to run along the road. He had undoubtedly mapped out the
whole affair in his mind, like a good general, and cared not what risks
he assumed if only he might pull that galloping horse in, so as to save
the fair girl.
Max was shouting something to him from away back in the rear, but it
was surely no time to stop and listen now, when a human life, and a
precious one to Steve, might lie in the balance.
He may have wondered why a girl as sensible as Bessie French should
persist in standing erect in the vehicle, and also what business she had
to be holding that whip. Steve did not take the trouble to ask himself
these bothersome questions. He knew that real heroes act while other
people are figuring things out. He must run alongside that rushing horse,
until he could jump up, seize the reins close to the bit and then throw
his whole weight so as to bring the animal to a stop.
Well, Steve really managed to do this in a way that should have won
for him considerable credit. He got more or less knocking around
before he could curb the fiery steed; but what should he care so long as

his object was accomplished. When he had brought old Bill to a
complete standstill, he meant to assist the almost fainting girl to the
ground, and then perhaps she would tell him how brave he was, and
what a fool she had been to quarrel with him.
He heard her calling out excitedly to him, but supposed Bessie might
naturally be anxious about his safety, dear girl.
Steve finally managed to bring old Bill to a stand; and it was wonderful
how quickly all the spirit went out of the ancient horse once he felt the
hand of a master at the rein.
As the heroic rescuer turned around he was staggered to see the pretty
face of Bessie French clouded with a frown, and to hear her bitterly tell
him how silly he had been to stop her in that way.
"Why, don't you see I was only trying to prove to Mazie Dunkirk that
our old Bill still had some fire left in him!" she cried, with tears of
mortification in her voice. "She said he couldn't run all the way to the
cross-roads and back again in seven minutes, and I just knew he could.
But now you've stopped us, and I've lost a candy pull. If some people
only knew enough to attend to their own affairs it would be better for
them. Please let go of that bridle; I want to go on!"
CHAPTER III
WHEN DREAMS CAME TRUE
Steve seemed turned into a pillar of stone. He stood there, and just
stared as hard as he could at the girl in the buggy. His hand though
released its clutch upon the reins, and the girl, plying the whip on old
Bill, swept past, giving him one last scornful look as she went; for
indeed the usually elegant Steve must have impressed her as having
taken to the life of a tramp, he was so soiled and streaked.
Max and Toby and Bandy-legs had listened, and also stared. They
grinned of course when they realized how their brave companion's
efforts were wasted on the desert air; but did not say a single word as

they walked on, and overtook the dazed Steve, still standing there as
though hardly able as yet to figure it out.
He managed to grin a little himself, even while rubbing his elbow,
where it may have been knocked by the shaft of the vehicle at the time
he made that gallant upward jump.
"Huh! seemed like it wasn't a runaway after all!" he told them; "but
how was anybody to know about that, when it had all the earmarks of
one? I never waited to ask, but saw my duty and did it. Lots of thanks I
got, didn't I? It'll likely be some time before Steve Dowdy bothers
himself to stop horses again at the risk of his own life. Why, she looked
like she could eat me when she drove off. A fellow's a fool to think a
girl could appreciate a job like that. Huh!"
"Never mind, Steve," said Max,