The Ride

"There, I'm ready," she said, running down to Hugh.

At sight of her his face flushed, while a half sigh escaped him as he
thought how proud he would once have been to ride with her; but that was
in the days of Rocket, when rider and horse were called the best in the
county.

"Where's Jim?" Hugh asked, glancing around in quest of the huge animal
he expected to mount, and which he had frequently likened to a stone
wall.

"Claib has your horse. He's coming," and with great apparent unconcern
Alice worked industriously at one of her fairy gantlets.

Suddenly Adah flew to Hugh's side, and said, eagerly: "Hugh, please whistle once, just as you used to do for Rocket--just
once, and let Miss Johnson hear you."

Hugh felt as if she were mocking him, but he yielded, while like a gleam
of lightning the shadow of a suspicion flitted across his mind. It was a
loud, shrill whistle, penetrating even to the woods, and the instant the
old familiar sound fell on Rocket's ear he went tearing around the
house, answering that call with the neigh he had been wont to give when
summoned by his master. Utterly speechless, Hugh stood gazing at him as
he came up, his neck arched proudly, and his silken mane flowing as
gracefully as on the day when he was led away to Colonel Tiffton's
stall.

"Won't somebody tell me what it means?" Hugh gasped, stretching out his
hands toward Rocket, who even attempted to lick them.