would otherwise have been expended in some less harmless way.
“When this is gone I really don’t know what I shall do,” said Mrs.
Jo to herself, for no inspiration came, and she was at the end of her
resources.
But Dan found a new occupation for himself, and enjoyed it some
time before any one discovered the cause of his contentment. A
fine young horse of Mr. Laurie’s was kept at Plumfield that
summer, running loose in a large pasture across the brook. The
boys were all interested in the handsome, spirited creature, and for
a time were fond of watching him gallop and frisk with his plumey
tail flying, and his handsome head in the air. But they soon got
tired of it, and left Prince Charlie to himself. All but Dan, he never
tired of looking at the horse, and seldom failed to visit him each
day with a lump of sugar, a bit of bread, or an apple to make him
welcome. Charlie was grateful, accepted his friendship, and the
two loved one another as if they felt some tie between them,
inexplicable but strong. In whatever part of the wide field he might
be, Charlie always came at full speed when Dan whistled at the
bars, and the boy was never happier than when the beautiful, fleet
creature put its head on his shoulder, looking up at him with fine
eyes full of intelligent affection.
“We understand one another without any palaver, don’t we, old
fellow?” Dan would say, proud of the horse’s confidence, and, so
jealous of his regard, that he told no one how well the friendship
prospered, and never asked anybody but Teddy to accompany him
on these daily visits.
Mr. Laurie came now and then to see how Charlie got on, and
spoke of having him broken to harness in the autumn.
“He won’t need much taming, he is such a gentle, fine-tempered
brute. I shall come out and try him with a saddle myself some
day,” he said, on one of these visits.
“He lets me put a halter on him, but I don’t believe he will bear a
saddle even if you put it on,” answered Dan, who never failed to be
present when Charlie and his master met.
“I shall coax him to bear it, and not mind a few tumbles at first. He
has never been harshly treated, so, though he will be surprised at
the new performance, I think he won’t be frightened, and his antics
will do no harm.”
“I wonder what he would do,” said Dan to himself, as Mr. Laurie
went away with the Professor, and Charlie returned to the bars,
from which he had retired when the gentlemen came up.
A daring fancy to try the experiment took possession of the boy as
he sat on the topmost rail with the glossy back temptingly near
him. Never thinking of danger, he obeyed the impulse, and while
Charlie unsuspectingly nibbled at the apple he held, Dan quickly
and quietly took his seat. He did not keep it long, however, for
with an astonished snort, Charlie reared straight up, and deposited
Dan on the ground. The fall did not hurt him, for the turf was soft,
and he jumped up, saying, with a laugh,
“I did it anyway! Come here, you rascal, and I’ll try it again.”
But Charlie declined to approach, and Dan left him resolving to
succeed in the end; for a struggle like this suited him exactly. Next
time he took a halter, and having got it on, he played with the
horse for a while, leading him to and fro, and putting him through
various antics till he was a little tired; then Dan sat on the wall and
gave him bread, but watched his chance, and getting a good grip of
the halter, slipped on to his back. Charlie tried the old trick, but
Dan held on, having had practice with Toby, who occasionally had
an obstinate fit, and tried to shake off his rider. Charlie was both
amazed and indignant; and after prancing for a minute, set off at a
gallop, and away went Dan heels over head. If he had not belonged