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up, took the powerful military bit in her teeth, and 

 bolted straight to the front. A crowd of five or six 

 thousand people occupied the rising ground directly 

 opposite, and realising the imminent danger of rush- 

 mg into it, every nerve was strained to arrest her 

 mad career, but in vain. 



On passing the sergeant-major, straight as an 

 arrow and within a hundred paces of the crowd, he 

 shouted in accents of evident concern, '' For heaven's 

 sake, pull the near rein!" His command was instantly 

 acted upon. Both hands were applied to the rein, 

 the mare's neck successfully bent, and round she 

 went in a circle until she was quite blown. 



Thus, by the application of this method a serious 

 accident was probably averted, because when a run- 

 away horse comes in violent collision with a crowd 

 of people the danger can hardly be exaggerated. It 

 is important that the neck should be bent suddenly, 

 for if the horse anticipate the intended action he 

 is likely to resist, but when his head is jerked round 

 unawares he is at once at the mercy of his rider, 

 and all attempts to get his head straight are rendered 

 futile by the tightness of the rein, which can be 

 lengthened or shortened by the rider as circumstances 

 demand. 



