TH:^ 8TBIKE AT SHAKE'S. 53 



whip to start him. Dick laid back his ears and hob- 

 bled away ; hut his looks appeared to indicate that a 

 very little of the ichip ivoidd limber him up too much 

 for the good of Shane's hecdth. Edith being away 

 there was no one to give the horse a kind word to put 

 him in a better humor. Shane mounted the cart and 

 clacked to the horse to start, but Dick stood still. 

 He had, evidently, made up his' mind that he did not 

 want to work that day. Shane gave him a cut with 

 the whip, but Dick laid back his ears and shook his 

 head, as much as to say, "there is trouble coming 

 for somebody." 



"You won't go, eh?" said Shane, and he gave the 

 horse blow after blow with the whip, almost cutting the 

 hide open. Dick made a lunge forward, but Shane 

 pulled with all his strength on the reins, and the hard 

 bit cut the horse's mouth until it bled, and threw Dick 

 back on his haunches. The sudden halt threw Shane 

 forward, and the reins were slackened. This was 

 Dick's opportunity, and he seized the bit in his teeth, 

 a trick horses learn when they are abused, and which 

 they practise to save themselves from punishment by 

 the bit. Before Shane could recover himself, Dick 

 bad started down the road, forgetting all about his stiff 

 legs. Shane pulled on the reins until his arms ached, 

 but it was the strength of a man against the strength 

 of a horse. It was the steel bit against the teeth of 

 the horse, now, and the teeth won. Down the road 

 they flew with the speed of the wind. They neared 

 the bend in the road, and Shane knew that the end would 



