expecting every moment to see the young rider
hurled to the ground. But, to their surprise, the colt stumbled,
staggered a few steps, and fell, George still upon his back. They ran to
the rescue, when George exclaimed, "The colt is dead!"

"Dead?" responded one of the boys in astonishment, "more likely his leg
is broken."

"No, he is dead, sure. See the blood running from his mouth."

Sure enough, the animal was dying. In his fearful plunging he had
ruptured a blood-vessel, and was bleeding to death. In a few moments the
young Arabian colt was dead.

"Too bad!" mournfully spoke George, with big tears starting to his eyes.
"I wish I had never made the attempt to ride him."

"_I_ wish so now," answered one of his companions; "but who ever thought
that the colt could kill himself?"

"Mother will feel bad enough now," continued George. "I am sorry that I
have caused her so much trouble."

"What shall you tell her?" inquired a companion.

"I shall tell her the truth," manfully answered George; "that is all
there is to tell about it."

The boys were soon at the breakfast-table, as cheerful as the
circumstances would permit.

"Well, boys, have you seen the Arabian colt in your walks this morning?"
Mrs. Washington inquired.

There was no reply for a moment. The boys looked at each other as if the
crisis had come, and they were not quite prepared for it. At length
George answered frankly:

"Mother, the colt is dead."

"Dead!" his mother exclaimed, "what can you mean, George?"

"He is certainly dead, mother."

"Have you seen him?"

"Yes; and I know that he is dead."

"How could such a thing happen?" said his mother, sadly and musingly.

"I will tell you all about it, mother," replied George, resolved upon
making a clean breast of the affair. He went on to narrate how he
arrived at the conclusion to ride the colt, not forgetting to say that
he thought his mother would be pleased with the act if he succeeded in
riding the fractious animal successfully. He described the manner of
catching, bridling, and mounting the colt, as well as his furious
plunging, rearing, and running; and he closed by the honest confession,
"I did wrong, mother, and I am very sorry that I attempted to ride the
colt. I hope that you will forgive me, and I will never be so
disobedient again."

"Forgive you, my son," his mother answered, evidently too well satisfied
with the truthfulness of her boy to think much of her loss, "your
fra