into my sides when he jumped on my back in the store. Oh, there he
comes!"

And, surely enough, Tad ran across the room and climbed up on the
back of the White Rocking Horse. If the Horse could have had his way
he would have turned and galloped out of the room. But he could not
do this, and so he just had to stand there and take what came.

"Gid-dap, there! Gid-dap!" cried Tad, banging his heels against the
sides of the White Rocking Horse.

Now, as I have told you, when the Horse was made to rock back and
forth he traveled along, just as sometimes a rocking chair moves
across the room. And the faster Tad made the horse sway to and fro,
the more the wooden toy moved along.

"Oh, I'm really having a ride!" cried Tad. "This is fun! Gid-dap,
White Rocking Horse!"

Over the room on the soft carpet rocked the Horse, straight toward
the Bold Tin Soldier who was lying in the middle of the room. And in
a few moments, unless Tad stopped rocking the Horse, he would run
over his friend, the Captain.

"Gid-dap! Gid-dap!" shouted Tad.

The Horse saw what was going to happen, and so did the Captain.

"Oh, if I can only get out of the way!" thought the Bold Tin
Soldier.