Juno, finding her way suddenly obstructed, flung up her head and swerved inland, and before she could gather herself I had leaned across and lifted her panting burden in my arm.
Juno might go now for me!
As for Paddy, no one knows how much at that critical moment I owed to his steady help.
The little lady looked up with a half smile as I set her before me on the saddle. Then her head fell back on my shoulder in a faint, and I had the sweetest and (for all we walked the whole way) the shortest ride home I ever knew.
It was with a sore heart that presently I surrendered my burden to her mother’s arms, and addressed myself to the task of recompensing my brave Paddy for that day’s feat.
While I rubbed him down, up came Martin, and my spirits rose.
“Go along away out of that, you blundering spalpeen,” said he, with a cuff on the ear. “I’ll learn you to meddle, so I will. Go and clean the pots, and let the horse alone.”
“Clean the pots yourself,” said I, pretty hot, “and leave the horse to one that can ride him.”
He gaped at me in his stupid way.
“You’ll swallow it in time,” said I, having finished my rubbing down. “Wait out there, like a jewel, till I put the beast away, and then you shall call me spalpeen again.”