Jake nodded. "All right. You can see him now if you want to. Why did you
go and ride that little devil Knuckle-Duster when I told you not?"
"I don't take orders from you!" said Toby hotly.
"Oh yes, you do--sometimes." The door closed softly behind Maud and Jake
turned squarely to face the girl on his hearth. "Say now," he said in his
slow direct way, "it was a fool thing to do. You may as well admit it as
not."
Toby was on her feet. She stood stiffly braced, but the colour had gone
out of her face. It was white and strained.
"All right," she said, speaking quickly and nervously. "But what of it? I
brought him back quite sound and none the worse."
"I wasn't thinking of the horse," said Jake. "He's a savage brute and I
doubt if we ever do much with him. He'll certainly never be fit for a
lady to ride. But that's not the point either. The point is, you did it
against my orders. And you dodged me to do it. Isn't that so?"
"I didn't dodge you for that reason," said Toby. "I'd have done it
whether you'd been there or not."
"I think not," Jake said. "Anyway, you'll give me your word of honour
that you'll never ride that animal again."
"My what?" said Toby, and suddenly she broke into a laugh.
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