"I'll go out to ride this afternoon," said Ben, with satisfaction. "I'll get started just before four o'clock, so as to meet John on his way from school. He'll look mad enough when he sees me;" and Ben laughed, as he fancied John's looks.
"It is a very good plan," said Mrs. Oakley, approvingly. "We'll see if he dares to interfere with you again."
The more Ben thought of it, the better he was pleased with this plan. All the academy boys knew that the horse was John's, and they would now see him upon it. He would be likely to meet many of them, and this would make John's humiliation the greater. At half-past three he went out to the barn.
"Mike," he said, to the hostler, "you may saddle Prince. I am going to ride out."
"Master John's horse?"
"No, my horse."
"Your horse, sir? Prince belongs to Master John."
"How dare you stand there contradicting me?" said Ben, haughtily. "The horse is mine. My mother has given it to me."
"It's a shame, then," said Mike to himself, "for Master John sets a sight by that horse. The old woman's mighty queer."