Dainty was strangely restive, pawing the ground, tossing her head, and fidgeting about. Jack tried to calm her as he fell in with his troop; but Dainty, instead of keeping her position just behind the captain’s horse, was prancing and curveting all over the road. Jack patted her and uttered soothing words; then tried touching the curb and letting her feel the spur. But it was all to no purpose. There was no opportunity of dismounting to see what ailed her, for immediately on coming up with the regiment, while the band trotted off to take its place at the saluting base with the other bands, Jack’s troop wheeled with C Troop into column of squadrons, and advanced at a walk to take up ground for the march past. Dainty got quieter, and Jack spoke endearing words to her, for she was a beautiful creature and Jack had a true cavalryman’s love for his horse.
Presently, the regiment being in line, the march past commenced, and by a great effort Jack managed to keep his horse under control and in its place, which was well for him, for the eyes of his captain were on him, and woe to the man who broke the line. When the regiment broke into a trot Dainty got almost unmanageable, and the perspiration broke out all over Jack through the struggle between him and his horse.
Then came the final charge. The Horse Artillery thundered by at a gallop, its guns jolting and bumping; then the Lancers and Hussars in a long double line, with lances in rest and waving sabres, galloped madly forward, right on to the front of the thousands of spectators. As the regiment galloped on Dainty got more and more unmanageable, and the thunder of fifteen hundred hoofs, the clank and jangle of accoutrements, the loud shouts of the troopers, all tended to render the bay still more wild. She raced along, kicking and plunging, her ears down, shaking her head angrily, and Jack had all he could do to hold her in and prevent her passing the squadron leaders.
The line of spectators watching the advancing horsemen got closer and closer till the colonel held his sword aloft, his trumpeter rang out the halt, and men and officers pulled up dead and began dressing their lines.
Jack drew hard on his bridle, but Dainty never paused for a second. Like a flash she shot past the squadron leaders, and with an angry snort went straight at the spectators in front. Jack realised the awful danger of a catastrophe, and dropping his bugle he seized the bridle with both hands and tugged with all his might at his horse’s head. Futile effort; Dainty had got the bit between her teeth and was racing forward. Jack knew the horse had run away with him, and shouted at the top of his voice to the people in front to get out of his way. This several did, with loud cries of fear; but a nurse-girl, who had charge of a chubby little boy of some three or four, seemed paralysed by fear and stood rooted to the spot. Her charge, the sun gleaming on his golden curly hair, ran out right in front of the maddened horse, and a great cry of horror went up from those around.
Nerved to an almost superhuman effort by the thought of the danger of the laughing child almost under his charger’s hoofs, Jack threw forward his feet, getting a good grip on his stirrups, then with all his strength he wrenched Dainty’s mouth till she threw up her head. Lying back, he dragged at her till her head was pulled back right against his chest. The animal reared almost straight up on her hind-legs and remained some seconds, while the child’s nurse, recovering from her stupor, rushed forward, dragged the little boy right from under the iron-shod hoofs pawing the air above him, and in an instant had the child in safety, when she fell in a swoon.
Jack, just as he heard the thudding of hoofs behind him, slipped off over the hind-quarters of Dainty; and then, still gripping the bridle, he pulled her sharply backward, when she overbalanced and came right over on her back, dashing Jack to the ground with her. Before she could scramble to her feet and start off again, Jack saw a number of mounted figures close round him and his horse. Dainty was captured, and some one dismounting ran towards Jack just as he lost consciousness. He soon, however, came to himself to find the regimental doctor feeling for broken limbs, and a newly joined officer, Cornet Leland of his troop, supporting his head.
Jack, fearing that he had made but a sorry exhibition of horsemanship, and thinking he might get into trouble for thus bringing his regiment into unpleasant prominence, struggled to his feet, asserting that he was all right. He saw that a Hussar trumpeter had unsaddled Dainty, who now stood quiet enough while the regimental sergeant-major was examining her.
‘Are you able to walk, do you think?’ asked Cornet Leland kindly.
‘I think so, sir,’ replied Jack; and he tried, but his left leg pained him so much that he almost cried out with the pain. He had been thrown on to the hilt of his sword, which had badly bruised his left hip.