whip, the second sleighful was off after the first. It
was not long before the Nesbit sleigh had met and passed the other,
which was not going at a very great rate of speed. Mrs. Gray's carriage
horses were much older and more staid than Miriam's pair of young
blacks.

"Who is the girl in front?" asked Tom, as the sleigh flashed past.

"My sister," answered David shortly.

"She must be a pretty good driver," observed Tom.

David made no reply. He knew perfectly well that Miriam was not strong
enough to hold in the black team, once the horses got the upper hand;
but he hoped one of the boys would take the reins if they showed any
symptoms of running away.

The early twilight was just falling when the Gray house party came to a
narrow, rickety old bridge spanning the bed of a creek. Here they
stopped the horses for a time, while Grace and Hippy gathered some
branches of evergreen growing on the edge of a wood, just over the
bridge.

Suddenly the stillness was broken by the sound of bells ringing so
violently that it seemed as if all Bedlam had broken loose. Around a
curve and down the road in front of them loomed Miriam's blacks, making
straight for the other group. They were going like the wind, and the
empty sleigh, lying on its side, was clattering behind them.

"Jump, girls!" cried Tom, while with the other boys he started to cross
the bridge to intercept the horses.

If Grace had paused to reflect she might never have attempted
accomplishing the daring deed that suggested itself to her. Quickly
snatching off her scarlet cape, she dashed into the middle of the road,
waving it before her. Perhaps the horses also thought Bedlam had been
let loose. At sight of the terrifying apparition, they slackened up,
snorted and reared backward.

"She is a brave girl," thought Tom Gray, as he leaped at the nearest
rearing, plunging animal, while David seized the other. Far down the
road came the sound of a faint halloo.

"I'll pick up the others. I suppose they are in a drift," said Reddy, as
he drove off and in a few minutes returned carrying Miriam and her
party. Miriam herself looked white and frightened, although she
pretended to treat the affair lightly.

"A rabbit scared the horses," was all she said. "I'll let one of the
boys drive us home."

"Indeed, I shan't go back in that sleigh," cried Julia Crosby.

"Perhaps you'll accept a ride in the freshman sleigh, Miss Crosby,"
suggested Nora; and the other girl, s