“But, my dear sir, you said that it was he that spirited away the animal; that it was he and he alone who was responsible for her disappearance.”
“Quite so—and I say it again. Gently, gently, Major—I’ll come to it in a minute. Personally I should like to put it off to the last, it’s such a fine thing for a finish, by Jove! But—well it can’t be done under the circumstances. In other words, there is a part of this little business this evening which I must ask Lady Mary not to stop to either hear or see; but as she is naturally interested in the matter of Highland Lassie’s disappearance I will take up that matter first and ask her to kindly withdraw after the filly has been restored.”
“Gad! you’ve found her, then? You’ve got her?”
“Yes, Major, I’ve got her. And as I promised that I would put her bridle into your hand with the animal herself at the other end of it, why—here you are!”
Speaking, he walked across to the box where the brown filly was tethered, unbolted it, unfastened the animal and led her out.
“Here you are, Major,” he said, as he tendered him the halter. “Take hold of her, the beauty; and may she carry off the Derby Stakes with flying colours.”
“But, good lud, man, what on earth are you talking about? This is Chocolate Maid—this is Lady Mary’s horse.”
“Oh, no, Major, oh, no! Chocolate Maid is in the stable at Farrow’s cottage—hidden away and half starved, poor creature, because he couldn’t go back to feed and look after her. This is your bonny Highland Lassie—dyed to look like the other and to throw possible horse nobblers and thieves off the scent. If you doubt it, look here.”
He uncorked the bottle, poured some of the Spirit of Wine on the sponge and rubbed the animal’s brown flank. The dark colour came away, the sorrel hide and the white splotch began to appear, and before you could say Jack Robinson, the major and Lady Mary had their arms about the animal’s neck and were blubbing like a couple of children.
“Oh, my bully girl! Oh, my spiffing girl! Oh, Mary, isn’t it clinking, dear? The Lassie—the Highland Lassie—her own bonny self.”