Rolly took the hint.
The ponies were let loose to graze, Brawn being told to head them off if they attempted to take to the woods.
"I understand," said Brawn, with an intelligent glance of his brown eyes and wag of his tail.
Then down the boy and girl squatted with the noble wolf-hound beside them, and Roland speedily spread the banquet on the moss.
I dare say that hunger and romance seldom tread the same platform--at the same time, that is. It is usually one down, the other up; and notwithstanding the extraordinary beauty of their surroundings, for some time both boy and girl applied themselves assiduously to the discussion of the good things before them; that meat-pie disappearing as if by magic. Then the hard-boiled eggs, the well-buttered and flouriest of floury scones, received their attention, and the whole was washed down with vinum bovis, as Roland called it, cow's wine, or good milk.
Needless to say, Brawn, whose eyes sparkled like diamonds, and whose ears were conveniently erect, came in for a good share.
Well, but the ponies, Boz and Coz, had not the remotest idea of running away. In fact they soon drew near to the banqueting-table. Coz laid his nose affectionately on his little mistress's shoulder and heaved an equine sigh, and Boz began to nibble at Roland's ears in a very winning way.
And the nibbling and the sigh brought them cakes galore.
Roland offered Boz a bit of pie.
The pony drew back, as if to say, "Vegetarians, weren't you aware?"