Not that Sam ever rode. He drove a spring-board behind a thin, sorrowful
mule called "Suggah." But the saddle horse was rented at times to white
folk of whom Sam approved.
Soon after the arrival of the Ralestones at Pirate's Haven, Sam had
brought this four-footed prodigy to their attention. But claiming that
the family were his "folks," he indignantly refused to accept hire and
was hurt if one of them did not ride at least once a day. Ricky had
developed an interest in the garden and had accepted the loan of Sam's
eldest son, an earth-brown child about as tall as the spade, to help her
mess about. Rupert spent the largest part of his days shut up in
Bluebeard's chamber. Which of course left the horse to Val.
And Val was becoming slightly bored with Louisiana, at least with that
portion of it which immediately surrounded them. Charity was hard at
work on her picture of the swamp hunter, for Jeems had come back without
warning from his mysterious concerns in the swamp. There was no one to
talk to and nowhere to go.
LeFleur had notified them that he believed he was on the track of some
discreditable incident in the past of their rival which would banish him
from their path. And no more handkerchiefs had been found, ownerless, in
their hall. It was a serene morning.
But, Val thought long afterwards, he should have been warned by that
very serenity and remembered the old saying, that it was always calmest
before a storm.
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