"No one won't touch them. Come along, old horse," he cried; and,
leading the way, the horse followed us with the reins tucked in its pad,
and we waded through the sand in which Juno rolled and tried to burrow
till we were out once more in the hard road, where the dog had to be
whistled for, consequent upon her having started a rabbit.
We found her at last, trying to get into a hole that would have been a
tight fit for a terrier, and she came reluctantly away.
The most delicious breakfast I ever tasted was ready at the little inn;
but Ike saw to his horse first, and did not sit down till it was
enjoying its corn, after a good rub down with a wisp of straw. Then the
way in which we made bread and bacon disappear was terrible, for the
journey had given us a famous appetite.
Shock would not join us, preferring the society of the horse in the
stable, but he did not fare badly. I saw to that.
At last after a final look at the horse, who was to rest till evening,
we walked back to the sand-pit, climbing higher and higher into the
sweet fresh air, till we were once more by the cart, when Ike laid one
hand upon the wheel and raised the other.
"Look here, lads," he said; "that horse must have eight hours' rest
'fore tackling her load, and a stop on the way home, so let's load up at
once with the best coarse white--we can do it in half an hour or so--
then you two can go rabbiting or bird-nesting, or what you like, while I
have a pipe and a sleep in the sand till it's time to get something to
eat and fetch the horse and go."
"Where's a shovel?" I cried; and Shock jumped into the cart for
another.
"Steady, lads, steady," said Ike; "plenty of time. Only best coarse
white, you know. Wait till I've propped the sharps and got her so as
she can't tilt uppards. That's your sort. She's all right now. We
don't want no more berryin's, Mars Grant, do we? Now, then, only the
best white, mind. Load away."
He set the example, just where the beautiful white sand seemed to have
trickled, down from the cliff till it formed a softly rounded slope, and
attacking this vigorously we were not long before Ike cried: "Woa!"
"But it isn't half full," I cried.
"No, my lad. If it was," said Ike, "our horse couldn't pull it. That
stuff's twice as heavy as stones. There, stick in your shovels, and now
be off. Don't go far. You ought with that dog to find us a rabbit for
dinner."