Midnight
Her soft felt hat , caught up at one side , partly shaded her face . A deep flush mantled her cheeks , due not to the reflection of the sun alone , but to buoyant health , and the excitement through which she had just passed . Almost wistfully she at length wheeled her horse and headed him away from the summit . Midnight needed no urging , and the light of satisfaction gleamed in his eyes as he sped swiftly and nimbly along the narrow trail . No guiding hand directed him , and the reins lay loose upon his glossy neck , for his mistress ' mind was elsewhere . At times he was compelled to slow down to a walk where the rocks were thick , or the trail steep and dangerous . But whenever possible , such as on the wild meadows , he laid back his ears and sped like the wind .