with Susy to join the group. "The best view will be from this
side."

"Are you going to ride, Mr. Morgan?" asked Katrina.

"Yes, I think so."

"Bob never can resist any game that's played with a horse," said
Sydney, laughing.

"You know you'd like right well to try it yourself," he retorted.

Baron von Rittenheim gave his seat beside Mrs. Schuyler to Miss McRae,
and went to Sydney's side.

"At last the sun begins to shine," he said, in a low voice, smiling up
at her and patting Johnny's neck.

"Your universe has many suns, I'm afraid," responded Sydney, a trifle
pettishly, yet swiftly, scanning his face for signs of returning
health. She was not unobservant, either, of his new white summer
clothes.

Friedrich glanced across the horse to Mrs. Schuyler.

"I find agr-reeable the light of the lesser planets," he said,
"but--there is only one Sun."

Looking up at her, he laughed again, so heartily and with such genuine
pleasure at seeing her that Sydney melted.

"You look so _well_," she cried. "It is a delight to see you. But it's
not a compliment to our care that you grow better so fast when you
leave us."

"R-rather is it a tr-ribute to your so admirable nursing that has
pr-repared me to r-recover with speed, even though I have it no
longer."

"Will you ride, Baron?" asked Bob. "You're welcome to Gray Eagle if you
will."

"I thank you, gr-reatly, but I dare not. The eye of my care-taker is
upon me, and your Herr Father is here somewhere. No, decidedly, I am
afraid," and he leaned with every appearance of contentment against
Johnny's shoulder.

"How about you, Mr. Wendell?"

"I think I will, if Miss Sydney will trust me with the horse."

"Of course; and I'll give you a lovely prize if you bring me the head."

"It's yours," cried John, while Friedrich bit his lip, in annoyance,
and thought on the _Ewigweibliche_.

"Can you find me something, Mr. Morgan?" cried Schuyler. "I really
can't stand here and see you fellows having this fun without me."

"What's Mr. Schuyler driving, Sydney? 'Possum? She'll do, if you don't
mind. I'll swipe a saddle off of one of those mules over there." And he
and Tom fell to unharnessing the useful 'Possum, while the Baron held
Gray Eagle and commented on Bob's resource.

"He is full of device," he said, heartily, "and r-ready, always, to
think and to do." And Sydney remembered some of the things he had done,
and nodded with misty eyes.

XV

The Gander-Pullin