The Wild Horses
The horses had come through the village once
before, and a wild and savage sight it had been. Rounded up from the
prairies, they had suddenly turned down the narrow dirt road between
the houses, and with the thunder of a thousand hoofs had raced madly
through.
That was years ago, and the people who now
lived in the village never dreamed it would happen again. Surely
there would never be another stampede like that, not in their
lifetime.
So time passed, and children were born. They
grew up and played on that same dirt road. Horses from nearby farms
passed peacefully to and fro, and the children knew most of them by
name; but of the wild horses of the mountains and prairies they knew
nothing, except what their mothers had told them of the big
stampede. Sometimes, perhaps, they dreamed, as children do, of that
terrible day when the whole frantic herd went galloping through
their village.
Life was very happy and peaceful there, far
from city noises and railroads and speeding automobiles. Nothing
very special happened from week to week until one afternoon, Yes,
it was a Sabbath afternoon. Lucy and Lillian had studied their Bible
lesson with their parents that very morning. It had been about
Daniel in the lions' den, and the two children had enjoyed it very
much, especially the part where the angel came and shut the lions'
mouths so that they would not harm the prophet of the Lord. They had
asked Mother if the angels would go to the rescue of other people
who might get into trouble like that, and Mother had said they
surely would.
The lesson over, the children had gone out
for a little walk by themselves. They had planned to go down the
dirt road, across a field or two, then back again. But they did not
get that far.
Suddenly, while they were still in the
village, they heard a strange noise in the distance. Looking up,
they saw a great cloud of dust, which seemed to be coming nearer and
nearer.
Then, amid the dust they could see horses,
galloping horses, galloping madly—straight toward them.
They were standing near a little bush not
much taller than themselves, and no protection at all, but now they
knelt beside it, saying a little prayer, and wondering what would
happen.
Meanwhile Mother had heard the horses too.
Instantly she had recognized the dreadful sound that had frightened
her so much long ago. At the same moment she thought of her
children. Where were they? Surely they must be on the road, right in
the path of the wild, plunging beasts. She ran out to look. Yes,
there they were! She called to them, but they could not hear her.
Meanwhile the wild horses, scores and scores of them, were rushing
madly, blindly, frantically, right through the village toward them!
"Save them! O Jesus, save them!" Mother cried
in desperation, turning her head away lest she should see them
killed.
Then something very wonderful happened. You
do not need to believe it unless you wish to, but I know it is true.
The mother told me about it herself. And the oldest girl too.
Suddenly, as the horses neared the children,
those in front stopped. Neighing frenziedly, they reared up on their
hind legs, their hoofs pawing the air. Then the next row piled onto
those ahead of them, their front legs straddling the others backs.
Behind them still others did the same, until, in the space of
seconds, there was a wall of horses right across that village
street. With their manes flying in the wind, and clouds of dust
billowing about them, it was a never-to-be-forgotten sight.
In that brief pause the children slipped away
and hurried home. The horses plunged and tossed a little while
longer, then dropped their hoofs to the ground and started off again
on their mad and thunderous flight.
"But weren't you afraid?" asked Mother as
Lucy and Lillian came sauntering up to her. "Afraid?" they said,
quite unconcerned. "Oh, no. We knew the angel of the Lord would look
after us, and he did."
Then they went indoors to play, while Mother,
who had been sick with fright, marveled at their faith.