e 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, throwing an arm over the shoulder of his
friend; "we know that if it had been a sure-enough runaway you'd have
covered yourself with glory, and saved her life in the bargain. Who'd
ever expect girls to be wagering candy pulls about an old nag making
time? And anybody to see old Bill tearing along would say he was running
away. It's all right, Steve; forget it now. You made a great stop,