was
nervous she took good care to say nothing about it. She had, before
starting from the yards of Messrs. Peek & Wallis, ably demonstrated her
ability to manage a horse by unharnessing this very animal and leading
it into the stable. Then leading it out again she had harnessed it with
her own hands, backed it carefully into the shafts, and finished the
processes of hitching to in a smart and workmanlike manner.

The others wanted to assist her; but as she had to take the
responsibility, and sign the books of the company, she preferred to do
the whole thing herself, although she promised that one or more of them
should always help her at the harnessing and unharnessing when they were
on the journey.

"Yes, it is ripping!" echoed Sylvia. "But do you know, I was simply
shaking with nervousness when Nealie was harnessing, for I was so afraid
that she would make some awful blunder, and that they would refuse to
let us have the horse and wagon, for I knew that I could not have stood
the test as she did; and then, too, these colonial horses seem to have
such a good opinion of themselves, and they carry their heads with a
swagger that is entirely different from the meek, downtrodden air of the
Turpins, and Smilers, and Sharpers of the old country; and their names
are as bumptious as themselves. Fancy a horse being named Rockefeller! I
vote that we call the dear creature Rocky for short. What do you say?"

"Not a bad idea!" cried Nealie, who was flushed and triumphant at having
passed the test imposed on her by Mr. Wallis before he would allow her
to take the responsibility of the horse and wagon. Rupert's lameness had
been the bar to his being in charge, and if Nealie, or, failing her,
Sylvia, had been unable to harness and unharness without danger to
themselves, then it would have been necessary to send a driver with
them, which would not merely have added to the expense, but would have
imposed a most uncomfortable restraint upon them.

Mr. Wallis had sent a reliable man to see them clear of the city and
beyond the area of the electric trams; then, once out in the country,
and provided with a map of the route to be traversed, the driver bade
them good morning, and they were absolutely on their own.

"I wonder how far we shall get to-night?" said Rupert, who was in charge
of the map, and had been promptly nicknamed the "route boss" by the
others.

"We ought to get to Kesterton--Mr. Wallis said so," answered Rumple, who