esh, and Don, turning to
the hostler, ordered him to put the saddles on the ponies again.
"Father is down in the field," said he, to his brother, "and it may
be two or three hours before he will come to the house. I can't wait
so long, so we'll ride down there and talk the matter over with him.
He hasn't forgotten that he was a boy once himself, and he will tell
us just what we ought to do."

The ponies were led out again in a few minutes, and Bert, having
assisted his brother into the saddle, mounted his own nag, and the
two rode down the lane toward the field. Of course they could talk
about only one thing, and that was the ill-luck that seemed to meet
their friend David at every turn. The longer Bert thought and talked
of the trick that had been played upon himself and his brother, the
more indignant he became; while Don, having had time to recover a
little of his usual good nature, was more disposed to laugh over it.
He declared that it was the sharpest piece of business he had ever
heard of, and wondered greatly that Godfrey and Dan, whom he had
always believed to be as stupid as so many blocks, should have
suddenly exhibited so much shrewdness. Bert declared that it was a
wicked swindle; and the earnestness with which he denounced the whole
proceeding made Don laugh louder than ever. Of course the latter did
not forget that the trick which so highly amused him, had been the
means of placing David in a very unpleasant situation, but still he
did not think much about that, for he believed that his father would
be able to make some suggestions, which, if acted upon, would
straighten things out in short order.

"Well, Don, how does it seem, to find yourself in the saddle again?
You appear to enjoy the exercise, but Bert doesn't. He looks as
though he had lost his last friend."

This was the way General Gordon greeted his boys, when they rode up
beside the stump on which he was seated, superintending the negroes
who were at work in the field. Bert brightened up at once, but
replied that he thought he had good cause to look down-hearted, and
with this introduction he went on and told David's story just as the
latter had told it to him and his brother. The General listened
good-naturedly, as he always did to anything his boys had to tell
him, and when Bert ceased speaking, he pulled off a piece of the
stump and began to whittle it with his knife. The boys waited for him
to say something, but as he did not, Bert conti