Though the width was not great, no horse, she fancied, would be expected to face it, and she watched the two figures flitting amidst the trunks to see when they would pull up.
There was, however, no sign that they intended to do so, and Miss Deringham gasped a little when Alton glanced for a moment over his shoulder.
"Pull him!" his voice reached her hoarsely, and she held her breath as she saw the man's hand move on the bridle and his heels pressed home.
The horse swung clear of the thicket, plunged with head down, flung it up, and straightened itself again; there was a drumming of hoofs, and man and beast had shot forward from the bank.

It seemed an appreciable time before they came down amidst the fern, and then Miss Deringham drew in her breath with a little sibilant sigh.
"Oh!" she said softly, and there was a great smashing as man and beast reeled through a brake on the other side.
"Yes," said Seaforth, "it was a tolerably risky thing, but it takes a good deal to turn Harry.

Where's Nellie Townshead now ?" "There," said Miss Deringham, instinctively clenching her bridle.
"Surely the girl cannot be going to try it." "Good Lord!" said Seaforth under his breath, and the second figure rushed with streaming skirt and hair at the gap cleared by Alton's passage.
Then the man turned his head, and it was a moment before he looked round again, very white in face.

"Thank Heaven!" he said hoarsely.
"She's over." Miss Deringham glanced at him curiously, and then laughed a little.
"Miss Townshead is evidently a determined young woman," she said, with something in her manner which led Seaforth to fancy that this was not intended as a compliment.

"But what is Mr.Alton doing ?" "Getting the rope ready," said Seaforth.