Connie smiled as she followed the brother and sister to the barn. She felt quite certain that neither of them had ever done much riding. It therefore took her by surprise when she learned that the horse which Cecil had chosen for his own was none other than Silvertail.
“I reckon you’ll like Star a lot better, sir,” Alkali told the boy persuasively. “Silvertail belongs to Miss Connie, and no one rides him but her.”
Cecil gazed disdainfully at Star, a beautiful roan.
“If I can’t have a horse of my own choosing then I’ll not ride,” he said peevishly.
“Saddle Silvertail for him, Alkali,” Connie instructed quietly.
The cowboy did as he was told, noting as the young man mounted that he was stiff and awkward.
“You better handle Silvertail easy,” he warned. “That hoss is high-spirited.”
“Alkali, you ride along with them,” Connie directed.
“We don’t need a guide,” Helena said quickly. “Not unless that other young man is free.”
“The foreman?” Connie inquired. “I’m afraid he isn’t. If you wish I’ll go with you——”