“Yes, Jack, she’ll just suit little Cinderella.” This was the name his brothers always called Tommy by, because he always sat by his sister’s knee close to the fire, and looked at it for hours.
“Dick,” said Jack, “there’s nothing like boys, is there?”
“And there’s nobody like you and me. Hurrah! come and give me a leg up to mount Glancer, and just see me clear that farther fence. Besides, I’ve got a new way of making Glancer buck-jump. Hurrah, Dick! Cow-boys for ever!”
As the two went tearing along towards the paddock where Glancer was browsing, they met Tommy and ’Theena on their way to the woods. Tommy had a fishing-basket on his back, ’Theena carried the rod. Tommy had a bow and arrows besides, and ’Theena carried a real Arab spear.
“Hullo, Cinderella!” shouted Dick.
“Hurrah, Cinder!” cried Jack. “Why, where ever are you off to with all that gear?”
“We’re going to the hermitage,” said Tommy proudly. “I’m the Hermit Hunter of the Wilds.”
“Ha, ha, ha!” from both the bigger boys.
“And,” continued Tommy, “we’re going to play at wild man in the woods; and we’re going to gather flowers, and find birds’-nests, and fish in the Craigieburn, and perhaps go for a sail on the sea.”