it with Ashford," said Dick whose temper was
somewhat ruffled by misfortune. "I don't. If you two like to stop you
can. I'll go on with the mare."

"Oh, no, we'll all come," said Heathcote. "I'm not afraid, no more is
Coote."

"All serene then, come on. Mind you tell Tom, I say," added he to the
carter. "Good-bye, and thanks awfully."

And they departed in doleful procession, Dick, with the whip in his
hand, leading the mare by the mouth, and Heathcote and Coote following
like chief mourners, just out of range of the animal's heels.

"What shall we say to Ashford?" asked Heathcote, after a little.

"Say? What do you mean?" said Dick.

"He's sure to ask us what has happened."

"Well, we shall tell him, I suppose."

"There'll be an awful row."

"Of course there will."

"We shall get licked."

"Of course we shall. What of it?"

"Only," said Heathcote, with a little hesitation, "I suppose there's no
way of getting out of it?"

"Not unless you tell lies. You and Coote can tell some if you like--I
shan't."

"I'm not going to tell any," said Coote, "I've told quite enough in my
exam. papers."

"Oh, of course, I don't mean telling crams," said Heathcote, who really
didn't exactly know what he did mean. "I'll back you up, old man."

"Thanks. I say, as we are in a row, mightn't we just as well take it
out of this beastly horse? If Coote led him you and I could take cock
shots at him from behind."

"Oh, yes," said Coote, "and hit me by mistake; not if I know it."

"We might aim at Coote," suggested Heathcote, by way of solving the
difficulty, "and hit the mare by mistake."

"Perhaps it would be rather low," said Dick. "I don't see, though, why
she shouldn't carry us. She's a long back; plenty of room for all three
of us."

"The middle for me," said Coote.

"Think she'd kick up?" asked Heathcote.

"Not she, she couldn't lift with all of us on her. Come on. Whoa! you
beast. Give us a leg up, somebody. Whoa! Hold her head, Coote, and
keep her from going round and round. Now then. By Jove! what a way up
it is!"

By a mighty effort of combined hoisting and climbing, the boys, one
after the other, scaled the lofty ridge, and perched themselves, as
securely as they could, well forward on the mare's long back.

Luckily for them, the patient animal endured her burden meekly, and
plodded on in a listless manner, pricking her ears occasionally at the
riot which went on on her back, and on