came the deep voice.

"Yes, Miss," replied the other, more leisurely than ever.

"Bring that clothes-brush along and brush Mr. Silver's coat when you've
finished fooling," she said.

Then she took the rug from the buggy and went back to Goosey Gander.

The young man in his pink shirt-sleeves, his baggy white breeches, and
polo boots, was walking the old horse gravely up and down, talking to
him.

His back was to the girl, and she watched him with kind eyes.

She was thinking how like he and Goosey Gander were: good big uns both,
as her father would say; clean-bred, large-boned, great-hearted,
quiet-mannered. But the man was just coming into his prime, while the
horse was well past his.

"Hullo, Bill, old boy," said the young man in his quiet voice.

Billy answered deeply.

Silver had only come to Putnam's the night before for the first time,
but he and Billy Bluff were friends already. Boy Woodburn noticed it
with swift appreciation. In her young and entirely fallacious judgment
there were few shrewder judges of character than Big Dog Billy.

She paused a moment, pretending to shift the rug on her arm.

The group of three before her held her eye and pleased her mind. Her
face was full of beauty as she watched, the spirit peeping shyly forth.

That horse, that man, that dog, so physically remote from each other,
yet spiritually akin, filled her young heart with the same sense of
satisfaction as did her familiar and well-beloved Downs. She felt the
goodness of them and rejoiced in it. All three were sound in body and in
spirit, honest, healthy, and therefore happy as the good red earth from
which they came.

CHAPTER IV

The Gypsy's Mare

Monkey Brand in a long drab coat came limping toward them, his saddle
over his arm.

"Best put in, Miss," he said. "Mr. Woodburn's comin'."

The old man indeed was rolling slowly toward them, followed by the
chaffing and expectant crowd to whom he paid no heed. His mouth was
stuffed full of bank-notes, and he was absorbed in calculations made in
a little book, and muttering to himself.

"We'd best be moving," said the girl to her companion.

She led the old horse away before the oncoming crowd.

Silver followed, with grave amusement in his face. He did not know
whether he dared to laugh or not, and was too much afraid to try. The
girl was aware of his embarrassment and became shy in her turn.

She led the old horse up to the buggy.

This was the tit-bit