"I--I don't s-s-see any-thing funny--'bout it!" he stammered.

Just then the buggy tipped slowly over upon its side, the body of the
horse tipping also. But they continued to fall, all together, and the
boy and girl had no difficulty in remaining upon the seat, just as
they were before. Then they turned bottom side up, and continued to
roll slowly over until they were right side up again. During this
time Jim struggled frantically, all his legs kicking the air; but on
finding himself in his former position the horse said, in a relieved
tone of voice:

"Well, that's better!"

Dorothy and Zeb looked at one another in wonder.

"Can your horse talk?" she asked.

"Never knew him to, before," replied the boy.

"Those were the first words I ever said," called out the horse, who
had overheard them, "and I can't explain why I happened to speak then.
This is a nice scrape you've got me into, isn't it?"

"As for that, we are in the same scrape ourselves," answered Dorothy,
cheerfully. "But never mind; something will happen pretty soon."

"Of course," growled the horse, "and then we shall be sorry it happened."

Zeb gave a shiver. All this was so terrible and unreal that he could
not understand it at all, and so had good reason to be afraid.