ag, which was a sedate animal, inclined to corpulency like
myself. My young companions and their horses were incapable of
restraining themselves to my pace, so they dashed on ahead at intervals,
and sometimes came back to me at full gallop. At other times they
dismounted and stood on the cliffs looking at the view of the sea, which
appeared to them, as it has always been to me, enchanting.

I think a view from a high cliff of the great blue sea, dotted with the
white and brown sails of ships and boats, is one of the grandest as well
as the most pleasant prospects under the sun.

Kenneth Stuart thought so too, for I heard him make use of that or some
similar expression to Lizzie as he stood beside her talking earnestly,
in spite of the light and jocular remarks of my son, who stood at
Lizzie's other side commenting on things in general with that easy
freedom of speech which is characteristic of middies in the British
navy, although not entirely confined to them.

The party had dismounted, and Kenneth held Lizzie's horse by the bridle,
while Gildart held his own. Bucephalus was roaming at large. His
master had trained him so thoroughly that he was as obedient as a dog.
He followed Kenneth about, and would trot up to him when he whistled. I
don't think I ever saw such a magnificent horse, as to size, beauty, and
spirit, coupled with docility, either before or since.

"Why, uncle, we thought you must have gone to sleep," said Lizzie,
turning towards me with a laugh as I rode up.

"Or fallen over the cliffs," added Gildart.

"In either case you would not have taken it much to heart, apparently,"
said I; "come, mount and push on."

Lizzie placed her little foot in Kenneth's hand, and was in the saddle
like a flash of thought, and with the lightness of a rose-leaf.
Gildart, being a little fellow, and his horse a tall one, got into the
saddle, according to his own statement, as a lands-man clambers into the
main-top through the "lubber's hole" in a squall; and I think the idea
was not far-fetched, for, during the process of mounting, his steed was
plunging like a ship in a heavy sea. Bucephalus came up at once when
whistled to.

"You seem very fond of your horse," said Lizzie, as Kenneth vaulted into
the saddle.

"I _love_ him," replied the youth enthusiastically.

"You love other creatures besides horses," thought I; but the thought
had barely passed through my brain when Lizzie went off like an arrow.
Kennet