When Bud could no
more hear the sound of the roan's footsteps he returned to the house, to
lie awake picturing to himself the journey of Ralph with Shocky and the
roan colt. It was a great comfort to Bud that the roan, which was almost
a part of himself, represented him in this ride. And he knew the roan
well enough to feel sure that he would do credit to his master. "He'll
put in his best licks," Bud whispered to himself many a time before
daybreak.

The ground was but little frozen, and the snow made the roads more
slippery than ever. But the rough-shod roan handled his feet dexterously
and with a playful and somewhat self-righteous air, as though he said:
"Didn't I do it handsomely that time?" Down slippery hills, through deep
mud-holes covered with a slender film of ice he trod with perfect
assurance. And then up over the rough stones of Rocky Hollow, where
there was no road at all, he picked his way through the darkness and
snow. Ralph could not tell where he was at last, but gave the reins to
the roan, who did his duty bravely, and not without a little flourish,
to show that he had yet plenty of spare power.

A feeble candle-ray, making the dense snow-fall visible, marked for
Ralph the site of the basket-maker's cabin. Miss Martha had been
admitted to the secret, and had joined in the conspiracy heartily,
without being able to recall anything of the kind having occurred at the
East, and not remembering having seen or heard of anything of the sort
the time she was to Bosting. She had Shocky all ready, having used some
of her own capes and shawls to make him warm.

Miss Martha came out to meet Ralph when she heard the feet of the roan
before the door.

"O Mr. Hartsook! is that you? What a storm. This is jest the way it
snows at the East. Shocky's all ready. He didn't know a thing about it
tell I waked him this morning. Ever since that he's been saying that God
hasn't forgot, after all. It's made me cry more'n once." And Shocky
kissed Mrs. Pearson, and told her that when he got away from Flat Creek
he'd tell God all about it, and God would bring Mr. Pearson back again.
And then Martha Hawkins lifted the frail little form, bundled in shawls,
in her arms, and brought him out into the storm; and before she handed
him up he embraced her, and said: "O Miss Hawkins! God ha'n't forgot me,
after all. Tell Hanner that He ha'n't forgot. I'm going to ask him to
git her away from Means's and mother out of the poor-house. I'l