ng. How far is the spring?"

"Oh, just a little way; I'll show you," Jimmy replied, jumping to the
ground and quickly opening the stable door. "Let me lead him," he added.

"Hadn't you rather ride him, Jimmy?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, in rather shy but pleased tones.

"All right," said the man, as he swung the little fellow up on the
horse. "There! Sit farther back, so you will not hurt that galled place.
Now I'll lead him, and you tell me in which direction to go."

"Down the road there, just on the other side of the ice-pond," said
Jimmy, pointing in that direction as they moved off.

The boy was happy as he cupped his bare legs close around the body of
the horse, and watched the square shoulders of the man who walked slowly
ahead. He thought him exceedingly nice and kind, and his feelings in
regard to the spurs were not nearly so intense. The desire to ask if
they were real silver, though, was strong, but he felt that perhaps it
would not be polite, so he said nothing.

After they had gone some distance Jimmy exclaimed, "There's the spring!"
Then he slid quickly to the ground, and without other words knelt down
and, baring one arm, dipped out of the bottom of the spring a handful of
rust-colored flakes.

"This is what you put on his back," he said. "Just lay it right on. It
doesn't hurt; it just feels cool."

The directions were quietly obeyed, and the horse made no movement, save
a slight quiver of the skin, as if to shake off a fly.

"Uncle Jake says that doctors can't make any finer medicine than this,"
he said, as he scooped up another handful.

"Well, Jimmy, I am very much obliged to you, and I'm sure that my horse
is also," said the stranger, as they started on back to the stable.

In the meantime the saddle left by Uncle Jake near the horse-rack had
attracted the attention of a young man as he came through the front
gate. After looking at it for a few minutes, idle curiosity prompted him
to turn it over with his foot, and as he did so three bright brass
letters--"R. E. L."--greeted him. He looked sharply at them at first,
then his eyes dilated, and a little prickly thrill ran through him. "I
wonder if it can be!" he said. Suddenly some convincing feeling seemed
to fill his mind, and then he almost ran to the house. On reaching the
steps, he sprang up them two at a time, and entered the hall, where he
met Mrs. Claverly.

"Mrs. Claverly--" he began, and stopped.

"Well?" she asked, smiling at his