with new fear gripping her heart she clutched the pony's mane the
tighter and looked about her trembling. She was conscious more than
anything else of the vast spaces about her in every direction, of the
loneliness of the spot, and her own desolate condition. She had wanted
the horse to stop and let her get down to solid ground, and now that he
had done so and she might dismount a great horror filled her and she
dared not. But with the lessening of the need for keeping up the tense
strain of nerve and muscle, she suddenly began to feel that she could
not sit up any longer, that she must lie down, let go this awful strain,
stop this uncontrollable trembling which was quivering all over her
body.

The pony, too, seemed wondering, impatient that she did not dismount at
once. He turned his nose towards her again with a questioning snuff and
snort, and showed the wicked whites of his eyes in wild perplexity. Then
a panic seized her. What if he should start to run again? She would
surely be thrown this time, for her strength was almost gone. She must
get down and in some way gain possession of the bridle. With the bridle
she might perhaps hope to guide his movements, and make further wild
riding impossible.

Slowly, painfully, guardedly, she took her foot from the stirrup and
slipped to the ground. Her cramped feet refused to hold her weight for
the moment and she tottered and went into a little heap on the ground.
The pony, feeling his duty for the present done, sidled away from her
and began cropping the grass hungrily.

The girl sank down wearily at full length upon the ground and for a
moment it seemed to her she could never rise again. She was too weary to
lift her hand or to move the foot that was twisted under her into a more
comfortable position, too weary to even think. Then suddenly the sound
of the animal moving steadily away from her roused her to the necessity
of securing him. If he should get away in this wide desolation she would
be helpless indeed.

She gathered her flagging energy and got painfully upon her feet. The
horse was nearly a rod away, and moving slowly, steadily, as he ate,
with now and then a restless lifting of his head to look off into the
distance and take a few determined steps before he stopped for another
bite. That horse had something on his mind and was going straight
towards it. She felt that he cared little what became of her. She must
look out for herself. This was something she ha