Many of the farmers looked up in surprise as the horse raced passed them.

"Hey!" yelled one of the farmers.   "Catch that horse.   He's a run-away!"

Another farmer yelled.   "No, he's no run-away.   There is someone riding him."

Mr. Johnson looked up when he heard all the yelling.   He spoke to the farmer sitting on the fence next to him.  

"I came down here today to buy another horse.   Mine wandered off the other day and hasn't come back.   He was an old horse, now if I could buy one like THAT horse, I'd think I had a good deal.   In fact, that looks a lot like my "old Horace", but Horace never could run THAT fast."

Stuart swayed back and forth on Horace's back.   It was harder and harder for him to keep his balance as the horse galloped and swerved to miss the crowd of onlookers.   Just as Horace ran down the driveway and through the open gate and out onto the road, Stuart slipped off his back and fell into the ditch with a thud.

Horace was in such a hurry to get home that he didn't even feel Stuart slip off his back.   He didn't see Stuart fall into the ditch.   He just kept galloping as fast as he could and he never looked back.

Stuart tried to sit up,   The ditch was full of water from the rain.   Stuart's straw stuffing was so soggy he felt limp.   His clothes were muddy and one pant leg was torn.   Most of Stuart's stuffing lay along the edge of the ditch.

"I can't get up," he said.   "And even if I could get up, I don't have enough stuffing in my legs to walk.   I just want to go home.   I miss Billy.   I want to stand in my garden again.   Even if it does rain...I won't ever run away again."

Stuart lay back against the edge of the ditch.   Two large tears crept down across his cheeks.

What was he to do?