ke company, she asked:

"Now, good Fairy, what must I do?"

And she pretended her Fairy made answer:

"Be wise. Speak to no one unless forced to. Poke a sharp toe against
Hotspur's side should any one try to stop you. If speak you must, let
it be in the words and tones of the black people. This you could do very
well. Make a queer jumble of what you say, to confuse any who may
question you."

And Sally answered, demurely:

"All these commands will I obey."

Then she laughed merrily, and Hotspur suddenly kicked out his hind legs
as if full of sport himself.

For two hours Sally rode on undisturbed, then there loomed a great wagon
she must either meet or hide somewhere to avoid it.

She thought it safer to ride to the back of a great barn and hide. But
Hotspur liked not being drawn up into the dark shadow. Just as the wagon
rumbled by he gave a loud neigh. Up went a window somewhere overhead.

"Who's there?" called a harsh voice. "Answer, or I'll let out the dogs."

"Say, Mars'," called Sally, in a shrill tone, "how far to Parson
Kendall's, and how far to Farmer Hinds's?"

"You must be a fool!" replied the gruff voice. "Parson Kendall's lies
way behind, two or three hours' ride. Hinds's place is two hours ahead,
straight along by the bushes, through the oak belt, and on by the river
path."

"De bushes road straight on, isn't it?" asked Sally.

"Follow your stupid nose, and half an hour's ride will bring you to it.
I say, whose horse have you got there?"

"Yah! yah! dis hoss get me dar all right," cried Sally, and hitting a
heel against Hotspur, she was off like a rocket, hearing nothing more.

But alack! five or six horsemen next approached on the lonely road, and
there appeared no way of escape. The house and barn were far behind, nor
would she have turned and fled. Only open fields and meadows lay ahead.

Then Sally made a mistake.

She pulled a stinging sapling from a bush, thinking to give Hotspur a
smart switch, and so race by as the men came up. Had she but known it, a
gentle slap from her hand on his shining flank and a hiss in ear would
have sent the proud animal bounding forward like a deer, exactly as she
wished.

So fine a horse would be noticed anywhere, and men were abroad who would
gladly have snatched Hotspur as a rich prize, and borne him away where a
great price he would have brought and none too many questions asked.

Sally gave the men a wide path, but one called, sharply:

"Hal