"Let me out! Let me out! Jump! Jump!" shrieked Aunt Kipp, thrusting
her head out of the window, while she fumbled madly for the
door-handle.

"O Toady, save us! save us!" gasped Polly, losing her presence of
mind, and dropping the reins to cling to her brother, with a woman's
instinctive faith in the stronger sex.

But Toady held on manfully, though his arms were nearly pulled off,
for "Never say die," was his motto, and the plucky little lad wouldn't
show fear before the women.

"Don't howl; we'll do it! Hi, Bob!" and with a savage slash of the
whip, an exciting cry, a terrible reeling and rattling, they _did_ do
it; for Bob cleared the track at a breakneck pace, just in time for
the train to sweep swiftly by behind them.

Aunt Kipp dropped in a heap, Polly looked up at her brother, with a
look which he never forgot; and Toady tried to say, stoutly, "It's all
right!" with lips that were white and dry in spite of himself.

"We shall smash up at the bridge," he muttered, as they tore through
the town, where every one obligingly shouted, waved their hats, and
danced about on the sidewalks, doing nothing but add to Bob's fright
and the party's danger. But Toady was wrong,--they did not smash up at
the bridge; for, before they reached the perilous spot, one man had
the sense to fly straight at the horse's head and hold on till the
momentary check enabled others to lend a hand.