So he thought that though he could not stop the horses, he might perhaps have strength enough to turn them off from the road into the farmer's yard; and that then they could be more easily stopped.

In this he succeeded.

By pulling the off rein of the leaders with all his strength, he was able to turn them out of the road.

The pole horses followed as a matter of course,--the coach came up with a graceful sweep to the farmer's door, and then the horses were easily stopped.
The farmer came at once to the door, to see what strange company had come to visit him in the stage,--his wife following; while several children crowded to the windows.
"What's here ?" said a voice from the window of the coach,--"a post-office ?" They thought the stage had been driven up to the door of some post-office.
Marco did not answer; in fact he was bewildered and confounded at the strangeness of his situation.

He looked back over the top of the coach down the road to see what had become of the driver.