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’ll ask him just as soon as I get to Lewisburg.”

Ralph lifted the trembling form into his arms, and the little fellow only looked up in the face of the master and said:  “You see, Mr. Hartsook, I thought God had forgot.  But he ha’n’t.”

And the words of the little boy comforted the master also.  God had not forgotten him, either!

From the moment that Ralph took Shocky into his arms, the conduct of the roan colt underwent an entire revolution.  Before that he had gone over a bad place with a rush, as though he were ambitious of distinguishing himself by his brilliant execution.  Now he trod none the less surely, but he trod tenderly.  The neck was no longer arched.  He set himself to his work as steadily as though he were twenty years old.  For miles he traveled on in a long, swinging walk, putting his feet down carefully and firmly.  And Ralph found the spirit of the colt entering into himself.  He cut the snow-storm with his face, and felt a sense of triumph over all his difficulties.  The bulldog’s jaws had been his teacher, and now the steady, strong, and conscientious legs of the roan inspired him.