"Thou art, for
the time, my servant," he said. "And we go to Selby."
For a moment Humphrey was disconcerted, but he did not relinquish his
own plan. Presently he said: "If we must go to Selby, let us cross the
river here. We can go on the south side of it as well as the north."
Hugo reflected. Then without a word he directed his horse down the bank
and into the water, which was here swimming deep. Well satisfied,
Humphrey followed.
"I did not dream of acorns and of eating one of them for nothing," he
said to himself. "I shall be master yet."
And hardly had the words passed through his mind when _splash_
went a heavy body into the water behind the two swimming horses.
Fleetfoot had come up with his master. Swiftly Hugo and Humphrey turned
their heads, Hugo with a smile and an encouraging motion of the hand
toward his dog, and Humphrey with a frown. "I would I knew who sent the
hound after us," grumbled the disgusted serving-man to himself when,
the shallow water reached, both riders drew rein for the horses to
drink.
Once across the Wharfe Humphrey led the way to a heavy thicket, and
dismounting pushed the growth this way and that and so made a passage
for the horses, Fleetfoot, Hugo, and himself.
Pages:
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59