Home was only slightly out of his way to the Hernstadt farm and Jim could not resist the temptation to display the mare. Trying to appear very casual and unexcited, he rode up the lane. His father had just come in from the field when he arrived; so the entire family came out to meet him. It was a very satisfactory entrance.
“Where did you find her?” asked Mr. Meadows who was plainly amazed.
“Over in Briggs Woods. Ticktock found her and I roped her,” said Jim very calmly, but with a twinge of conscience.
“You and that horse continually dumfound me,” said Mr. Meadows.
Jim went inside and telephoned Mr. Hernstadt that his missing horse had been found. The pleased owner offered to come over after the mare but Jim insisted on delivering her. Before he left he called the editor.
“You can take that ad out of the paper,” he told Arnold with a pardonable amount of pride in his voice. “I am on my way to take the mare home right now.”
Arnold insisted on knowing a few details which Jim gave him with pretended reluctance. After all, as Mr. Morgan had said, what a business needs is publicity. Besides it would look nice in the paper about his roping the runaway horse. That would really make the other boys’ eyes bug out.
When Jim delivered the horse that afternoon, Mr. Hernstadt handed him twenty-five dollars gladly. He listened to the account of how the horse had been found.
“The man that helped me take care of the horses left a few months ago to run a farm of his own,” the horse breeder explained. “I’ve been so busy that I didn’t notice the fence needed repairing in one corner. That’s how she got out. Now that you have found the horse you don’t suppose you could find me a good man to help take care of her and the other horses?”
“Well,” said Jim considering the matter seriously, “the Pony Express does all sorts of things. I’ll see what I can do.”