"His first trouble," I thought,--"his first trial.

How will our boy behave now ?" Let me mention again, that the distance from the Mayfords' to Captain Brentwood's, following the windings of the river on its right bank, was nearly twenty miles.

From Major Buckley's to the same point, across the plains, was barely ten; so that there was still a chance that a brave man on a good horse, might reach Captain Brentwood's before the bushrangers, in spite of the start they had got.
Sam's noble horse, Widderin, a horse with a pedigree a hundred years old, stood in the stable.

The buying of that horse had been Sam's only extravagance, for which he had often reproached himself, and now this day, he would see whether he would get his money's worth out of that horse, or no.
I followed him up to the stable, and found him putting the bridle on Widderin's beautiful little head.

Neither of us spoke, only when I handed him the saddle, and helped him with the girths, he said, "God bless you." I ran out and got down the slip-rails for him.