rying to remember where she was and to place the hill that she
knew was on the right at a cross-road, poor old McDonald fainted and
fell backwards into the sleigh.

She didn't dare turn her head, but she heard Lois say:

"I've got him; help me, Bet," and Miss Crosby cry out:

"The reins! The reins!"

"I've got them; don't worry!" Polly's voice sounded miles away. Her head
was throbbing. "Can I make it? Can I make it?" she kept saying over and
over under her breath.

She saw the cross-road ahead; on the right a steep hill led up to an
old, deserted hotel. For a minute she hesitated. The horses were good
for miles more at top speed. She knew if they had level ground, that
meant entering the village. She decided quickly. It must be the hill. If
she could only make the turn. She tightened her grip on the reins and
felt the horses slack just the least little bit. She pulled hard on the
left rein, and then as they came to the turn--on the right one--so as to
describe a wide half circle and save the sleigh from tipping. The sudden
turn frightened the girls.

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, stop them!"

Polly heard their cries as in a dream. She took time to smile and toss
her head to get a lock of hair out of her eye. She had felt the slight,
but certain relaxing on the lines, and she knew the worst was over.

The hill was about a mile long, and by the time the horses reached the
top, Polly had them completely under her control. She stopped them,
finally, under the old tumbled down porte-cochere of the hotel. They
were trembling all over and they were sweating.

"Get out!" Polly ordered, "and don't make any noise. We'll have to wait
a minute before we go back--give me some blankets for the horses, and
look after McDonald."

Miss Crosby was already doing it. The old man had collapsed and lost
consciousness, but now he was coming around. With Betty to help, she had
rolled him up in a robe in the middle of the sleigh, and tried to soothe
him; his grief was pathetic.

"I'm done for; I'm done for!" he kept repeating.

Lois helped Polly with the horses.

"Sit down, Poll," she said, authoritatively. "You need rest, too. You'll
have to drive us home."

Polly looked at her gratefully--her knees were trembling.

"I better keep going," she answered. "Just don't let the girls talk to
me and I'll be all right." She was stroking one of the horse's necks.

Lois went round to the back of the sleigh. The girls were standing in