Excerpt from "Here By Mistake: The Secret of the Niche"
[Fourteen-year-old Brandon, from upstate New York in 2005 (now stranded in 1965), saves a life, and changes history in the process.]
At the corral the attendant had just seated a small girl on the pony and fixed her feet in the stirrups. He gave her the reins and tugged on the bridle to begin the ride. Suddenly the pony rammed forward, knocking the attendant into the fence. His legs buckled and he hit the ground. The pony squealed and reared, and several parents rushed into the corral. One man seized the bridle but slipped on the mud and lost his grip. Two women grabbed for the reins but missed, and the pony bolted out of the gate. It ran up the flagstone path past the wooden platform and charged into the field.
The girl screamed and let go of the reins. Bounced hard, she flew off the saddle but didn’t fall free. Her right foot stuck in the stirrup, and the pony dragged her at a gallop as she shrieked and screamed.
Onlookers shouted helplessly. One man on the platform yelled, “STOP” and stupidly threw an apple at the animal; it missed by ten yards. Roused by the noise, Brandon jumped up and saw the pony heading for the red flags. He hopped the trench and sprinted for the crossing point. Reaching it not quite in time, he leaned and made a flying leap—and caught a piece of the saddle.
The pony charged on, dragging Brandon and the girl. Twenty yards past the flags it slowed and finally it stopped. Brandon found his footing and grabbed for the bridle, but missed. The pony squealed and reared, and came down almost on top of him. Brandon seized the reins, but the pony bucked and yanked him off his feet. He hit the ground on his back as a hoof pounded down next to his face. Scrambling back up, he blocked the pony, shifting and angling for an opening. Finding one at last, he leaped up and caught the bridle with both hands, giving it all his weight. The pony let out a piercing squeal, but its head came down. The rearing and the running were done.
At the corral the attendant had just seated a small girl on the pony and fixed her feet in the stirrups. He gave her the reins and tugged on the bridle to begin the ride. Suddenly the pony rammed forward, knocking the attendant into the fence. His legs buckled and he hit the ground. The pony squealed and reared, and several parents rushed into the corral. One man seized the bridle but slipped on the mud and lost his grip. Two women grabbed for the reins but missed, and the pony bolted out of the gate. It ran up the flagstone path past the wooden platform and charged into the field.
The girl screamed and let go of the reins. Bounced hard, she flew off the saddle but didn’t fall free. Her right foot stuck in the stirrup, and the pony dragged her at a gallop as she shrieked and screamed.
Onlookers shouted helplessly. One man on the platform yelled, “STOP” and stupidly threw an apple at the animal; it missed by ten yards. Roused by the noise, Brandon jumped up and saw the pony heading for the red flags. He hopped the trench and sprinted for the crossing point. Reaching it not quite in time, he leaned and made a flying leap—and caught a piece of the saddle.
The pony charged on, dragging Brandon and the girl. Twenty yards past the flags it slowed and finally it stopped. Brandon found his footing and grabbed for the bridle, but missed. The pony squealed and reared, and came down almost on top of him. Brandon seized the reins, but the pony bucked and yanked him off his feet. He hit the ground on his back as a hoof pounded down next to his face. Scrambling back up, he blocked the pony, shifting and angling for an opening. Finding one at last, he leaped up and caught the bridle with both hands, giving it all his weight. The pony let out a piercing squeal, but its head came down. The rearing and the running were done.
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