"And the horse?" demanded little Jack.
"The horse? Gone, Mr. Jack," replied Hercules. "I will carry you. Will you find that I trot too hard?"
"No," replied little Jack; "but then I shall no longer have any bridle to hold."
"Oh! you will put a bit in my mouth, if you wish," said Hercules, opening his large mouth, "and you may pull back so long as that will give you pleasure."
"You know very well that I shall not pull back."
"Good! You would be wrong! I have a hard mouth."
"But Mr. Harris's farm?" the little boy asked again.
"We shall soon arrive there, my Jack," replied Mrs. Weldon. "Yes, soon!"
"Will we set out again?" then said Dick Sand, in order to cut short this conversation.
"Yes, Dick, let us go," replied Mrs. Weldon.