Page:The romance of Runnibede (IA romanceofrunnibe00rudd).pdf/54

"Very well, then," he said, "if Miss Rumble will let you out of school half-an-hour earlier, you can, go. The mob will be camped about the lagoon all night, so you needn't be in any great hurry."

That was all we wanted. And whether big Mary was willing to let us out of the infernal school half-an-hour earlier, or whether she wasn't, we didn't wait to inquire. We bolted for the big house, and rushing inside, hustled Mrs. Channing to get our lunch.

"You'll get it when 'tis ready for y', and not a minute before! Great men you're getting." was all the notice Mrs. Channing took of us. But when it was ready, never did youths, or men for that matter, dispose of a meal in less time or require less waiting upon in the process than we. In face of mother's kindly injunctions to take, our time, we veritably poked it down with our fists; and in grave silence eyeing the other across the table.

When we had taken enough to go on with, we suddenly remembered that our ponies "hadn't had a drink yet." We remembered them, because it was a rule that we were never to leave the table till everyone else had finished. But mother stretched a point in the interests of the ponies, and off we rushed, nearly upsetting Mrs. Channing as she came from the kitchen; then bounding off the verandah we scrambled over the top of the big white gate to save time, then down to the stable. And there, faithfully waiting with their heads over the stall rails, those ponies greeted us with short affectionate whinnies. Wonderful what friendly, forgiving natures