"There, I'm ready," she said, running down to Hugh.
At sight of her his face flushed, while a half sigh escaped him as he thought how proud he would once have been to ride with her; but that was in the days of Rocket, when rider and horse were called the best in the county.
"Where's Jim?" Hugh asked, glancing around in quest of the huge animal he expected to mount, and which he had frequently likened to a stone wall.
"Claib has your horse. He's coming," and with great apparent unconcern Alice worked industriously at one of her fairy gantlets.
Suddenly Adah flew to Hugh's side, and said, eagerly:
"Hugh, please whistle once, just as you used to do for Rocket—just once, and let Miss Johnson hear you."
Hugh felt as if she were mocking him, but he yielded, while like a gleam of lightning the shadow of a suspicion flitted across his mind. It was a loud, shrill whistle, penetrating even to the woods, and the instant the old familiar sound fell on Rocket's ear he went tearing around the house, answering that call with the neigh he had been wont to give when summoned by his master. Utterly speechless, Hugh stood gazing at him as he came up, his neck arched proudly, and his silken mane flowing as gracefully as on the day when he was led away to Colonel Tiffton's stall.
"Won't somebody tell me what it means?" Hugh gasped, stretching out his hands toward Rocket, who even attempted to lick them.
At this point Alice stepped forward, and taking Rocket's bridle, laid it across Hugh's lap, saying, softly:
"It means that Rocket is yours, purchased by a friend, saved from Harney, for you. Mount him, and see if he rides as easily as ever. I am impatient to be off."