“Only,” said Heathcote, with a little hesitation, “I suppose there’s no way of getting out of it?”
“Not unless you tell lies. You and Coote can tell some if you like—I shan’t.”
“I’m not going to tell any,” said Coote, “I’ve told quite enough in my exam. papers.”
“Oh, of course, I don’t mean telling crams,” said Heathcote, who really didn’t exactly know what he did mean. “I’ll back you up, old man.”
“Thanks. I say, as we are in a row, mightn’t we just as well take it out of this beastly horse? If Coote led him you and I could take cock shots at him from behind.”
“Oh, yes,” said Coote, “and hit me by mistake; not if I know it.”
“We might aim at Coote,” suggested Heathcote, by way of solving the difficulty, “and hit the mare by mistake.”
“Perhaps it would be rather low,” said Dick. “I don’t see, though, why she shouldn’t carry us. She’s a long back; plenty of room for all three of us.”
“The middle for me,” said Coote.
“Think she’d kick up?” asked Heathcote.