按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Oh； I'm not going to walk that far；〃 answered Belle； with a bewitching look at the young man。
〃You might drive over；〃 suggested Felix； without stopping to think twice。
〃Oh； yes； I love driving！〃 cried one of the girls。
〃And so do I！〃 answered the other。
〃I will find out what can be done about a conveyance；〃 answered Felix。
Being a good deal of a dude； and dressing very fastidiously； he did not much relish visiting the livery stable attached to the hotel。 But； early on the following morning； he walked down to the place； and ordered a horse and carriage； to be ready at ten o'clock。
Now it must be known that Felix did not intend to drive the carriage。 He thought the young ladies would drive for themselves； since both had said that they loved driving。 Unfortunate man！ he knew not the snare he had laid for himself！
Punctual to the minute the carriage drove up to the door。
Felix was on hand； standing on the steps； with politeness in his air； though with trembling in his heart because so near the horses。 He assisted the ladies in。 Then he handed the reins to Miss Belle。
〃Do you wish me to hold the horses while you get in？〃 she asked sweetly。
〃Till I get in！〃 ejaculated Felix； taken aback。
〃Certainly！ You don't think we are going to drive ourselves； do you？ Of course you are going with us。〃
Poor Felix！ He was 〃in for it〃 now； decidedly。 It required a good deal of moral courage； a quality in which he was deficient； to resist a lady's demand。 His knees trembled with fear as he scrambled in。 Joe； who was standing not far away； looked on with a quiet smile on his face。 He realized what was passing in the dude's mind。
〃He'd give ten dollars to get out of it；〃 our hero told himself。
The boy who had brought the turnout around looked at Felix Gussing earnestly。
〃Take care of that horse； mister；〃 said he； warningly。 〃He's young and a little bit wild。〃
〃Wild？〃 gasped the dude。 〃II don't want to drive a wild horse。〃
〃Oh； he'll be all right if you keep an eye on him；〃 went on the stable boy。
〃Young and a little bit wild！〃 thought Felix to himself。 〃Oh； dear； what in the world shall I do？ I never drove a horse before。 If I get back with less than a broken neck I'll be lucky！ I'd give a thousand to be out of this pickle。〃
〃Hadn't we better start； Mr。 Gussing？〃 asked one of the young ladies； after a pause。
〃Oh； yescertainly！〃 he stammered。 〃But eryou can drive if you wish。〃
〃Thank you； but I would prefer that you drive。〃
〃Won't you drive？〃 he asked of the other young lady。
〃Oh； no； not to…day。 But I'll use the whip if you say so；〃 she answered。
〃Not for the world！〃 cried the unhappy Felix。 〃He is a bit wild already and there is no telling what he'd do if he felt the whip。〃
At last the carriage drove off。 Joe gazed after it thoughtfully。
〃Unless I miss my guess； there is going to be trouble before that drive is over；〃 he thought。 And there was trouble； as we shall soon learn。
CHAPTER IX。
AN UNFORTUNATE OUTING。
Fortunately for the unhappy Felix the horse walked away from the hotel in an orderly fashion； and soon they gained the highway leading to the resort the party wished to visit。
Had the dude left the horse alone all might have gone well。 But he deemed it necessary to pull on first one line and then the other； which kept the carriage in a meandering course。
〃I don't think； Mr。 Gussing； that you can be much used to driving；〃 said one of the young ladies； presently。
〃That's a fact；〃 answered the dude。
〃Why don't you keep to the right of the road？〃
〃Well；erthe fact is； this horse is a very difficult one to drive。 I don't believe I ever drove one which was more so。〃
As this was the first horse Mr。 Gussing had ever driven； this assertion was true in every particular。
〃Oh； I can't travel so slow！〃 cried one of the young ladies； and seized the whip； and before Felix could stop her； used it on the steed。
The effect was magical。 The horse started up like a racer； and tore through the street as if trying to win a race for a thousand dollars。
The dude clung to the reins in the wildest terror。 To his frenzied imagination it seemed that his final hour was approaching。
〃Whoa！〃 he screamed； jerking on the lines。 〃Stop； you crazy beast！ Stop； before we all get killed！〃
But the horse only went the faster。 And now； to increase his alarm； he saw a buggy approaching from the opposite direction。 It contained one of the town lawyers； Silas Simms by name。
〃We shall run into that buggy！〃 screamed the fair Belle。 〃Oh； Mr。 Gussing； be careful！〃
A moment later the two turnouts came together with a crash； and one wheel was torn from the buggy and the town lawyer pitched out headlong to the ground。 Then on went the carriage with the dude and the two young ladies； at a faster pace than ever。
〃Let me jump out！〃 screamed one of the ladies。
〃No； not yet！ You'll be killed； Grace；〃 answered Belle。
〃Then stop the carriage！〃
Alas； the poor Felix was already doing his best to stop the horse。 But his jerkings on the reins only added to the horse's wildness。
Not far along the road was a good sized brook； spanned by a neat wooden bridge。 As the carriage neared the bridge； Felix pulled on the wrong rein once again。 The horse turned from the road proper； and descended full speed into the stream itself。
〃Oh； now we'll be drowned！〃 shrieked Grace。
But she was mistaken。 The stream was easily fordable； so there was no danger on that score。 But the rate at which they were impelled through the water naturally created no inconsiderable splashing； so that on emerging on the other side the dude； as well as the young ladies； were well drenched。
To the great joy of Felix the contact with the water cooled the ardor of the steed； so that he resumed the journey at a far more moderate rate of speed。
〃Wasn't it just glorious！〃 cried Belle； who； after the danger seemed past； grew enthusiastic。 〃What a noble animal！〃
〃Glorious？〃 echoed the dude。 〃I don't care much about such glory。 As for the noble animalIerI wish he was hung！ That's the best he deserves。〃
The dude spoke bitterly； for the spell of terror was still on him。 Had he consulted his own wishes he would have leaped from the carriage and left the ladies to their fate。
But the thought of the bewitching Belle made him keep his seat； and he resolved that if he must die he would do it like a martyr。
The horse went on； and at last they neared the end of the short journey。 But here a new obstacle presented itself。 There was a big fence and a gate； and the gate was tight shut。
As they could not enter the grounds without opening the gate； the dude got down out of the carriage。 He did not hand the reins to either of the ladies but laid them over the dashboard。
The instant the gate was swung open the steed darted forward； and brought up with a jerk against a post that happened to be in the way。 Here he reared and plunged； causing the young ladies to scream 〃murder〃 at the top of their voices。
〃Oh； my！ Oh； dear me！〃 bawled Felix； and took refuge behind a neighboring hedge。 〃The horse has gone crazy！ He'll bite somebody next！〃
The cries reached some men who were not far off； and they came running to the assistance of the party。 One caught the steed by the bridle and soon had him quieted down。
〃I'll never drive that horse again！〃 said the dude。 〃Not for a million dollars！〃
〃How are we to get home？〃 queried Belle。
〃I'll drive you；〃 said one of the men。 〃I know this horse。 He used to belong to Bill Perkins。 I know how to handle him。〃
〃Then do so；〃 answered Felix； 〃and I'll pay you two dollars。〃
The man was as good as his word； and to Felix's astonishment he made the horse go back to the hotel without the slightest mishap。 Then the horse was put in the stable； the dude paid the bill； and the party separated。
〃I shall never drive again； never！〃 declared the dude to himself； and it may be added that he kept his word。
〃I hope you had a nice drive；〃 said Joe； when he met Felix that evening。
〃It was beastly； don't you know；〃 was the answer。 〃That horse was a terribly vicious creature。〃
〃He looked to be gentle enough when he started off。〃
〃I think he is a crazy horse。〃
〃By the way； Mr。 Gussing； Mr。 Silas Simms was looking for you。〃
〃You mean that lawyer who drives the spotted white horse？〃
〃Yes。〃
Felix gave a groan。
〃He says he wants damages。〃
〃It wasn't my fault that the horse ran into him。〃
〃Well； he is very angry about it； anyway；〃 said our hero。
Early the next morning Felix Gussing received a communication from the lawyer。 It was in the following terms：
〃MR。 GUSSING。 Sir：In consequence of your reckless driving yesterday； I was thrown from my carriage； receiving a contusion on my shoulder and other injuries。 My carriage was also nearly ruined。 If you choose to make a race…course of the public highways you must abide the consequences。 The damage I have sustained I cannot estimate at less than one hundred and fifty dollars。 Indemnify me for that and I will go no further。 Otherwise； I shall be compelled to resort to legal action。
〃SILAS SIMMS； Atty。
Felix read the le