last night. He came to the conclusion that, if he had really been
brought home to his mother by Mrs. Crump, she would say something
to him about it, and that would settle the matter. Then he got
up and dressed himself, but, finding that his father and mother
were not yet stirring, he went down the ladder to the stable.
There he found that even old Diamond was not awake yet, for he,
as well as young Diamond, always got up the moment he woke, and now
he was lying as flat as a horse could lie upon his nice trim bed
of straw.

"I'll give old Diamond a surprise," thought the, boy; and creeping
up very softly, before the horse knew, he was astride of his back.
Then it was young Diamond's turn to have more of a surprise than he
had expected; for as with an earthquake, with a rumbling and a rocking
hither and thither, a sprawling of legs and heaving as of many backs,
young Diamond found himself hoisted up in the air, with both hands
twisted in the horse's mane. The next instant old Diamond lashed
out with both his hind legs, and giving one cry of terror young
Diamond found himself lying on his neck, with his arms as far round
it as they would go. But then the horse stood as still as a stone,
except that he lifted his head gently up to let the boy slip down
to his back. For when he heard young Diamond's cry he knew that
there was nothing to kick about; for young Diamond was a good boy,
and old Diamond was a good horse, and the one was all right on the
back of the other.

As soon as Diamond had got himself comfortable on the saddle place,
the horse began pulling at the hay, and the boy began thinking.
He had never mounted Diamond himself before, and he had never got
off him without being lifted down. So he sat, while the horse ate,