Gale wondered why Virginia had never mentioned the little boy to the Adventure Girls. Then she remembered when they had first arrived Virginia had casually talked about him, but the girls had gone off on their camping trip and he had not been mentioned again. Gale liked him, he seemed a bright little fellow, quick to learn and to imitate.
“I can ride an’ fish an’ shoot,” he bragged. “Course I don’t know much outa books, but I’ll get along.”
Gale marveled that a youngster, scarcely eight, could be so optimistic and have such a cheerful acceptance of his destiny. She felt a trifle guilty that she didn’t have such philosophy about the things she wanted but couldn’t have.
“Do you have a horse of your own?” she asked.
“No,” he admitted, “but Tom loans me one lots of times.”
“Want to take a ride on mine?” she asked.
His eyes sparkled joyfully at the suggestion and he murmured a bashful “Gee!”
“Go ahead,” she invited. “I’ll wait here for you.”
His legs didn’t reach to the stirrups, but horse and rider seemed welded together as Bobby urged the roan across the valley. At first Gale was afraid he might be unseated, but she soon discovered she need have no fear. Bobby was a born rider, and knew as much about sticking in the saddle as Gale herself.
“He sure can run,” Bobby panted as he jumped off beside Gale and handed her the reins.