“So that’s the way of it. And how do you two little maids happen to be walking the moor alone at this hour?”
Whereupon they told him, and when he heard the Doone name he frowned.
“Lucky to get away at all,” he muttered. “But come, we’ll see whether Winnie will allow us all three to jog on together to Ridd’s house, where I’m sure we’ll find a welcome. How will it be, Winnie, my lady?”
The mare turned her lovely head and looked softly at her master, whinnying a low response.
“Up with us, then,” he exclaimed. And swinging the two little girls aboard the gentle creature, he mounted himself, setting Ruth before him and Rose behind.
“And now Winnie shall do as she likes,” he said, and bending forward past Ruth he whispered a word or two. Winnie laid back her ears, and then started off with a motion so smooth and swift that both girls gasped in delight.
“To think of riding your beautiful horse, Mr. Highwayman,” Rose ejaculated. “Golly-winks, it seems too good to be true! Did you ever stop a stage?”
Tom laughed. “Surely you don’t think I’ll admit anything like that? Stop a stage? You wouldn’t care to ride with a man who’d do a thing like that, now, would you?”
“Oh, yes,” they both answered, earnestly. “Of course we would. You are a good highwayman, we know all about you.”
“How’s that? I don’t seem to know you two half as well.”