"Oh, ay, if there's a chance at ahl Miss Honnor will be out," said
Roderick, and he added, with a demure smile, "even if the chentlemen
will be for staying at home."
However, Lionel had soon to consider his own attitude towards this
swollen stream, when it became necessary to ford it on the hither side
of the Bad Step. To tell the truth, when he regarded that racing
current, he did not like the look of it at all.
"I don't see how we are to get across," he said, with some hesitation.
"Maggie knaws the weh," Roderick made answer, with a bit of a laugh.
"Yes, that's all very well," said the mounted huntsman. "I dare say she
knows the way; but if she gets knocked over in the middle of the
current, what is to become of me, or of her either?"
"She'll manage it, sir," said the keeper, confidently, "never fear."
Lionel was just on the point of saying, "Well, you come yourself and
ride her across, and I'll go over the Bad Step on foot," but he did not
like to show the white feather; so, somewhat apprehensively, he turned
the old pony's head to the river-bank. And very soon he found that old
Maggie knew much better what she was about than he did; for, as soon as
she felt the weight of the water, she did not attempt to go straight
across; she deliberately turned her head down-stream, put her buttocks
against the force of the current, and thus sideways, and very
cautiously, and with many a thrilling stumble and catching up again, she
proceeded to ford this whirling Aivron.
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