es' this minute," said the man; "but if ye'll
step inside and sit down, I'll go and ask 'em at the store what they can
do fur ye. If it ain't open yet, I'll know where ter find 'em. If
anybody comes along for a mornin' drink, jes' tell 'em to wait a minute,
and I'll be back."

In about fifteen or twenty minutes the bar-keeper returned, and
announced that I could not hire the horse at the store, for one of his
hind shoes was off, and they wanted to use him any way. He had asked two
or three other people, also, for the village was waking up by this time,
but none of them could let me have a horse.

"But I'll tell ye what ye can do," said the man, "if ye choose to wait
here a little while. The boss of this house went over to Stipbitts last
night to see his mother, and I expect him back putty soon, and I guess
he'll let ye have his hoss. Ye see the people about here ain't used to
hiring hosses, and we is. People as keeps hotels is expected to do it."

There was nothing for me to do but to wait for the return of the
landlord of Central Hotel; and for very nearly an hour I walked up and
down the main street of that wretched little hamlet, the name of which I
neither heard nor asked, cursing my own stupidity and the incapacity of
the waterside rustic.

When the "boss" arrived he was willing to let me have his mare and his
buckboard, and a boy to drive me; but the animal must be fed first, and
of course I would not start off without my breakfast. As I had to wait,
and the morning meal was almost ready, I partook of it; but the mare
gave a great deal more time to her breakfast than I gave to mine. I
hurried the preparations as much as I could, and shortly after eight
o'clock we started. My little expedition had the features of a useless
piece of trouble, but I had carefully considered the affair, and
concluded that I had a good chance of success. Almost any horse could
take me eight miles in an hour and a half, even with poor roads, and,
from what I knew of the industrial methods of this part of the country,
I did not believe that the necessary supplies would be put on the yacht
before half past nine: therefore, I did not allow myself to doubt that I
should reach Sanpritchit in time to see Mrs. Raynor.

The mare was a very deliberate traveler, and the boy who sat beside me
was an easily satisfied driver.

"We must go faster than this," said I, after we had reached what
appeared to be a highroad, "or I shall not get to Sanp