“Oh!” I cried, brightening up, but with a feeling of nervousness and excitement making my heart beat more heavily still. “Where is it?”
“Paddock!” said Lomax shortly, and without the slightest disposition to be conversational. In fact, he became more military every moment, and marched along by me, delivering cuts at nothing with his cane, as if he were angry with the air.
Then all at once he glanced at me, looking me up and down.
“Humph! No straps to your overalls,” he said snappishly.
“Overalls?”
“Well, trousers, sir. They’ll be crawling all up your legs. Get some buttons put on by next time.”
He turned into the field devoted to the Doctor’s cows and to the junior boys’ football, and there I saw the General’s groom holding a fiery, untamed-looking steed, as it seemed to me, arching its neck and snorting, as it stood champing its bit till the white foam flew from its mouth.
The groom touched his hat to me as we came up.
“Master’s compliments, sir, and as he wants me,” he said, “would you mind riding the cob back to the house?”
“Oh yes, of course,” I said, glancing at the fierce-looking animal, and mentally asking myself whether he would allow me to ride him home. “Is—is he quiet?”