shrieking whistle, rushed past within a few
feet, he gave a jump that broke the rope halter confining him, and bounded
to the extreme end of the car. Rod sprang to the open door--not with any
idea of leaving the car, oh, no! his sense of duty was too strong for
that, but for the purpose of closing it so that the horse should not leap
out. Then he approached the terrified animal with soothing words, and
caught hold of the broken halter. At the same moment the car was again set
in motion, and the horse, now wild with terror, flew to the other end,
dragging Rod after him. The only lantern in the car was overturned and its
light extinguished, so that the struggle between boy and horse was
continued in utter darkness. Finally a tremendous bump of the car flung
the horse to the floor; and, before he could regain his feet, Rod was
sitting on his head. The boy was panting from his exertions, as well as
bruised from head to foot; but he was thankful to feel that no bones were
broken, and hoped the horse had escaped serious injury as well as himself.

After several minutes of quiet he became satisfied that that last bump
was the end of the drilling, and that car number 1160 had at length
reached its assigned position in the train. Still he did not think it safe
to let the horse up just yet, and so he waited until he heard voices
outside. Then he called for help. The next moment the car door was pushed
open, and Conductor Tobin, followed by Brakeman Joe, entered it.

"Well, I'll be everlastingly blowed!" cried Conductor Tobin, using the
very strongest form of his peculiar expression, as the light from his
lantern fell on the strange tableau presented by the boy and horse. "If
this doesn't beat all the stock-tending I ever heard of. Joe here was just
telling me you was going out with us to-night, in charge of a horse, and
we were looking for your car. But what are you doing to him?"

"Sitting on his head," answered Rod, gravely.

"So I see," said Conductor Tobin, "and you look very comfortable; but how
does he like it?"

"I don't suppose he likes it at all," replied the boy; "but I couldn't
think of anything else to do." Then he told them of the terror inspired in
the animal by the recent drilling; how it had broken loose and dragged
him up and down the car, and how he came to occupy his present position.

"Well, you've got sand!" remarked Conductor Tobin admiringly when the
story was finished. "More 'n I have," he added. "I w