Yes. We'll trot, of course. All ready."

"Be very careful, Gypsy," called her father, nervously; "I'm really
almost afraid to have you go. You might come to the precipice sooner,
than you expect, and then the horse may shy."

"I'll be careful father; come, Nelly, gently--whe-ee!"

Suddenly reflecting that it was not supposed to be lady-like to whistle,
Gypsy drew her lips into a demure pucker, touched Nelly with the tassel
of her whip, and flew away up the hill on a brisk trot. Mr. Francis
condescendingly checked the full speed of the colt, and they rode on
pretty nearly side by side.

"I'm afraid, in justice to my horse, I must really come in first," began
Mr. Francis, loosening his rein as they neared the fir-tree.

"Oh, of course," said Gypsy, with a twinkle in her eyes; "I didn't
undertake to beat."

Now Nelly had a trick with which Gypsy was perfectly familiar, of
breaking into a run at an instant's notice, if she were pinched in a
certain spot on her neck. Suddenly, while the colt was springing on in
his fleet trot, and Mr. Francis supposed Gypsy was a full eight feet
behind, he was utterly confounded to see her flying past him on a
bounding gallop, her hair tossing in the wind, her cheeks scarlet, her
eyes triumphant.

But right in the middle of the road, between them and the fir-tree, was
something neither of them had seen;--a huge tree just fallen, with its
high, prickly branches on.

"Jerusalem!" said Mr. Francis, under his breath as the colt pricked up
his ears ominously.

"Oh, good! here's a jump," cried Gypsy, and over it she went at a bound.
The colt reared and shied, and planting his dainty forefeet firmly on
the ground, refused to stir an inch. Gypsy whirled around and stood
triumphant under the fir-tree, her eyes snapping merrily.

"Why, how did this ever happen?" cried the rest, as they came laughing
up.

"I say, there's some witchcraft about this business," remarked Mr.
Francis, quite bewildered; "wait till I've cleared off these branches,
and we'll try that over again."

"Very well," said Gypsy, in a perfect whirl of excitement and delight,
as she always was, with anything in the shape of reins in her hand. But
just then she looked back and saw Joy toiling on slowly behind the
others; Billy with his head hanging and his spirits quite gone. Gypsy
stopped a moment as if in thought, and then rode slowly down the hill.

"I'm having a horrid time," said Joy disconsolately, as she came up;