Constantly the girl’s pleased eyes were on the beautiful creature following.  Never had she seen so perfect an animal; never had she known one giving such plain signs of high intelligence.  The mare’s big eyes, broad forehead, delicate muzzle, arching neck, strong withers, mighty flanks, and slender ankles marked her, to the veriest novice, a thoroughbred of thoroughbreds; her docile and obedient march showed what seemed like an almost magic power in the delighted mountain maid.  Every drop of blood in the girl’s body tingled with excitement, all her muscles thrilled with mad desire to mount the wondrous beast and be away as on the wind’s wings.  She could imagine what the mare’s long strides would be, she could imagine how exhilerating she would find the steady, perfect motion of the mighty back.

“Oh, I can’t stand it!” she exclaimed, at length.  “I’ve got to do it!”

She paused, and eagerly the mare stepped up to her, nuzzleing her caressing hand.  Then, with a bound, the girl was on the graceful creature’s back, landing in her place as lightly as a wind-blown thistle-down, as gracefully as a fairy horsewoman.

“Heavens!” cried Barbara.  “She’s on Queen Bess!”

“She’ll be killed!” Miss Alathea screamed, in terror.

The Colonel, only, recognized her instantly as a born horsewoman.  His expert eye observed with rare delight the ease with which she mounted, the perfect poise with which she found her seat, the absolute adjustment of her lithe young motions to the movements of the mare beneath her from the very moment she had reached her back.

“No danger; she rides like a centaur.”

With the others he had stopped, with eyes for nothing but the girl before them and the splendid animal she rode.  “Ah, what a jockey she would make!”

Barbara liked this exhibition of the mountain girl’s abilities no better than she had liked anything which Madge had done.  Her lip curled somewhat scornfully.  “What a pity that her sex should bar her from that vocation!” she said coldly.

She turned to Frank, who was watching Madge with startled eyes, worried as to the result of this mad prank on both the girl and mare.

“Frank,” said Barbara, “what a figure she will make to-night at your lawn-party!  How your friends will laugh at her!”

Layson cast a quick, sharp glance at her.  She was not advancing her own cause by trying, thus, to ridicule the mountain maiden.  “I’ll run the risk,” he said.  “She is my guest, you know, and, as such, will surely be given every consideration and courtesy by all.”

“Oh, certainly,” said Barbara, seeing that she had gone, perhaps, too far.  “If you wish it.  I should be glad to please you, once again.”

“Nothing could please me more than to have you show her what kindnesses you can.  I know she will feel strange and worried.”

Madge, sitting Queen Bess with an ease and grace which that intelligent mare had never found in any other rider, and, now, far from them at the other end of the great training-field, absorbed the youth’s delighted glances.