Cleopatra 



heard someone knocking on my door I only dozed 

 on happily, but as I grew a little more and more 

 awake, something seemed to weigh upon my mind 

 and depress me; and it was not until Rawdon 

 stood in the door, crop and lash in hand, that I 

 began to realize it was Cleopatra. It was only 

 a few minutes now before I had to ride Cleopatra. 

 They say condemned men, on the morning of their 

 execution, often eat a hearty breakfast. It is true ; 

 I did. I felt I should need it. 



The sky was slightly cloudy, and while the wind 

 blew gently out of the south, there was an early 

 morning crispness to it that put the horses on 

 edge; and as the grooms led our mounts up from 

 the stable, it was really more than one man should 

 have been asked to do, to take Cleopatra all by 

 himself. Sometimes Cleopatra lifted her head, 

 and when she did so the groom went with her. 

 There was no effort on her part. She was very 

 graceful and pretty about it. She merely lifted 

 her head and the groom went up in the air; then 

 she would try to kick Granny, the other horse, 

 with her heels. We watched them as they 

 approached, Rawdon with pride in his eyes. As 

 for me, I can't say pride exactly expressed my 

 emotions; but then, of course, they weren't my 

 horses. I was only going to ride one of them. 

 "Feeling pretty good, aren't they'?" said Raw- 

 S7 



