hard to say. Lionel could only guess what a mighty floundering there was
going on; but Roderick kept encouraging his four-footed companion to
hold up; and more than once, when they attained a safe footing, he
called a halt to let the faithful Maggie recover her breath.

"Take your feet out o' the stirrups, sir," he said, when they were about
half-way across; "there's some nasty sharp ledges the other side, and if
she loses her footing you'll chist slip off before she goes over; and it
will not tek ye above the waist whatever, so that you can get ashore by
yourself."

When they did reach those ledges, Maggie seemed to understand the
awkwardness of the situation quite as well as he; she went forward only
an inch or two at a time; and if her hind-feet occasionally skated a
little, her fore-feet remained firm where she had planted them. As for
Lionel, he was, of course, quite helpless; he did not seek to interfere
in any way; he was merely ready to slip off the saddle if Maggie rolled
over. But presently a sudden red flash revealed to him that they were
near land (this was Alec striking a vesuvian to give them a friendly
lead); there was some further cautious sliding and stumbling forward;
then the uplifting of Maggie's neck and shoulders told him she had
gained solid ground and was going up the bank. Never was soft and sure
footfall more welcome.

The arrival of this belated and bedrenched little party at the lodge
created no little surprise; for it had been concluded that, having been
led away by a long stalk, or perhaps following a wounded deer into
unexpected regions, and finding themselves overtaken by the dark, they
had struck across country for the Aivron-Bridge Inn, to pass the night
there. However, Sir Hugh bustled about to have his guest properly looked
after; and when Lionel had got into dry clothes and swallowed some bit
of warmed-up dinner, he went into the drawing-room, where they were all
of them playing poker--all of them, that is to say, except Lord
Fareborough, who, in a big easy-chair by the fire, was nursing his
five-and-twenty ailments, and no doubt inwardly cursing those people for
the chatter they were keeping up. They stopped their game when Lionel
entered, to hear the news; and when he had told his heartrending tale,
Lady Adela's brother lazily called to her:

"I say, Addie, there's a chance for you to try that terrier of yours. If
he's as intelligent as you say, send him out with the Billies to-