The frightened horse reared.

At the strain the severed girth gave, and the saddle, rolling, spilled both Schmidt and Fred into the road, while the horse bolted.

Fred lay still, watching Schmidt, who rose, cursing fluently, and stood for a moment staring stupidly after his horse.

Then he began to call, and broke into the awkward, lumbering run of the cavalryman.
Fred might have slipped away then, but he was sure that Schmidt would catch the horse, which must, he thought, be trained to stop even after a momentary panic.

And it was not his plan to seize a chance that might after all not be as good as it looked.