The girls began to look very frightened, as indeed they had good reason to be.
Kenneth, without another word, presently slipped out of his seat, and scrambled, as quickly as possible, into Giles's place.
"Take the reins, Ken, for goodness' sake!" murmured Rupert, now thoroughly scared. "She's beyond me altogether."
Now, Kenneth was a great lover of animals, and was on the best of terms, not only with his beloved Bruno, but with every horse in the stables. Taking the reins from Rupert's grasp, he did his best to pull up the runaway, but at first without any avail. Then he tried the art of soothing words—
"Come, come, Peggy," he said, speaking to the mare in tones he had often used to her in the stable. "What's the matter, old girl? Steady there, steady!"
[CHAPTER VI]
ELLA'S DISGRACE
THE mare, after a bit, seemed to understand the change of drivers, and presently she lessened her speed to an ordinary trot. Then Kenneth gradually brought her to a standstill.
Some minutes later they were joined by Giles, who, panting and breathless as he was, commenced giving Rupert a piece of his mind.
For a wonder the boy made no retort. As a matter of fact, he regretted his wilfulness more than he could tell.