66 HOUND AND HORN 



" How's my stock, Mr. Kerr ? " she had asked. 



After the most searching examination, the verdict 

 was — '* Beautifully folded, but the pin is a trifle high, 

 and might be a leetle more sloped. May I put it 

 right for you ? " and so on. 



This operation had been witnessed through the 

 open window by Bobby, to his great joy, and he 

 stored up what he had seen and heard for further 

 use. 



" Aunt Jane is late," said Joanna from behind the 

 urn, as the tramp of horses' feet was heard on the 

 gravel. 



*' I don't think Aunt Jane will appear till she 

 knows I am well away," exclaimed Captain Richards. 

 " I fear I am the innocent cause of her absence," he 

 went on. ^^ I met her as I was coming along the 

 passage with my white apron on, and I believe she 

 thought it was another sort of garment, and that 

 I was on my way to the bath-room, for in spite 

 of my most agreeable smiles and greeting, she cut 

 me dead and ran off with half-suppressed sobs." 



The first incident of note, after the cavalcade started, 

 was that Bobby's Shetland pony made a rush to a 

 watering-trough b}^ the roadside, and plunging his 

 muzzle in over the nostrils, drank deep and long. 

 His rider tugged, and flogged, and kicked, and 

 Captain Richards flicked clouds of dust out of his 

 shaggy coat with his whip, all to no purpose, until 

 his thirst was slaked. 



" I told Batters to keep the water off him last 

 night," said Bobb}^ ** Never mind, I don't need 

 to draw up my girths now ; they're quite tight 

 enough." 



