"Now get off to sleep, as quickly as you can. We will see what we can
do to make things comfortable for your ride, tomorrow."
It was late when Annie awoke. The sun was some distance above the
horizon, and she saw her companions occupied with the horses. In a few
minutes she joined them.
"I am ashamed at sleeping so long," she said.
"We were glad to find that you did," Dick replied. "If you went to
sleep soon after I brought you the broth, you have had ten hours of
it, and ought to feel all the better."
"I do," she said. "I am very stiff, but not so stiff as I was
yesterday morning. How you are both altered!"
"Yes. It would never have done to have gone on in our gay dresses, and
Tippoo's badges. These are the clothes we came up in, and we shall
attract no attention whatever. You won't have to ride far, today. It
will be as well for you to keep to your own horse, until we have
passed through Ryacotta, which is not much more than half a mile away.
After that, you must sit on this pad I have fastened behind my saddle.
You can sit sideways, you know, and put your arm around me, just as
ladies used to ride in England, a couple of hundred years ago."
As soon as they had eaten something they started, and rode at a good
pace to the little town.
Pages:
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447