Part 5 (1/2)
Such a steeple-chase it was! They cleared the far down the road, and across the ploughed field, and into the wood Then out into the open country, and by-and-by into a dark, muddy lane--and oh! how o into the water to wash ourselves,” said Brownie, and coaxed Jess into a deep stream, which she swam as bravely as possible--she had not had such a frolic since she left her native Shetland Isles Up the bank she scra instead of a pony Brownie, too, shook hi a shower round hiain, ed Jess into the water once more Out she caain through the lane, and the wood, and the ploughed field, galloping like the wind, and tossing back her ears and mane and tail, perfectly frantic with enjoyht she was in would have driven any respectable groom frantic too Her sides hite with foa all over her like a plaster As for her beautiful long hair, it was all caked together in a tangle, as if all the coain Her mane especially was plaited into knots, which people in Devonshi+re call elf-locks, and say, when they find them on their horses, that it is because the fairies have been riding them
Certainly, poor Jess had been pretty well ridden that night When just as the dawn began to break, Gardener got up and looked into the farht of the stable-door wide open
”Well done, Bill,” shouted he, ”up early at last One hour before breakfast is worth three after”
But no Bill was there; only Jess, tre, all in a foa perfectly cheerful in her s ran a sray, and this dog was brown, of course!
I should not like to tell you all that was said to Bill when, an hour after breakfast-ti, Gardener took a good stick and laid it about Bill's shoulders, saying he would either do this, or tell the mistress of hiht, and soalloped her all across the country, till, if she hadn't been the cleverest pony in the world, she never could have got back again
Bill durst not contradict this explanation of the story, especially as the key was found hanging up in its proper place by the kitchen door
And when he went to fetch it, he heard the most extraordinary sound in the coal-cellar close by--like so Bill took to his heels, and did not come back for a whole hour
But when he did come back, he made himself as busy as possible He cleaned Jess, which was half a day's work at least Then he took the little people a ride, and afterward put his stable in the ed Bill, that Gardener told hiht back somebody else: whether or not, the boy certainly improved, so that there was less occasion to find fault with him afterward
Jess lived to be quite an old pony, and carried a great rew any bigger But I don't think she ever carried a Brownie again
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
ADVENTURE THE FIFTH
BROWNIE ON THE ICE
WINTER was a grand time with the six little children especially when they had frost and snow This happened seldoreatest possible treat when it did happen; and it never lasted very long, for the winters are warm in Devonshi+re
There was a little lake three fields off, which inable No skaters went near it--it was not large enough; and besides, there was nobody to skate, the neighborhood being lonely The lake itself looked the loneliest place ih to drown a ravelly bottorew so thick that they sheltered it coenerally froze as slass
”The lake bears!” was such a grand event, and so rare, that when it did occur, the news came at once to the farm, and the children carried it as quickly to theirdid happen this year--it did not happen every year--lessons should be stopped entirely, and they should all go down to the lake and slide, if they liked, all day long
So one , just before Christht
”Mother, mother, the lake bears!” (It was rather a co only about twenty yards across and forty long) ”The lake really bears!”
”Who says so?”
”Bill Bill has been on it for an hour this , and has made us two such beautiful slides, he says--an upslide and a down-slide May we go directly?”