The Roman examined them and handed them back.
"You'll find it rather--rather slow at the school, won't you?"
"What's your line of goods, old Sport?" said Stover, examining Mr. Hopkins with a knowing eye.
"Books," said The Roman with a slight jerk of his thin lips.
Jimmy stopped the horses and went behind, ostensibly to see if the door was swinging.
"Let me drive?" said Stover, fidgeting after a moment's contemplation of Jimmy's method. "I'll show you a thing or two."
Jimmy looked inquiringly at Mr. Hopkins and, receiving a nod, transferred the reins and whip to Stover, who immediately assumed a Wild West attitude and said patronizingly:
"Say, you don't get the speed out of 'em."
They were at that moment reaching the brink of a hill, with a sharp though short descent below.
"In my country," said Stover professionally, "we call a man who uses a brake a candy dude. The trick is to gallop 'em down the hills. Hang on!"
Before he could be stopped he sprang up with an ear-splitting war-whoop and brought the whip down with a stinging blow over the ears of the indignant horses, who plunged forward with a frightened leap. The coach rose and rocked, narrowly missing overturning in its sudden headlong course. Jimmy clamped on the brakes, snatched the reins and brought the plunging team to a stop after narrowly missing the gutter. Stover, saved from a headlong journey only by the iron grip of The Roman, had a moment of horrible fear. But immediately recovering his self-possession he said gruffly:
"What in blazes were you trying to do, you young anarchist?" cried Jimmy, turning on him wrathfully.
"Gee! Why don't you drive a couple of cows?" said Stover in disgust. "Why, in my parts we alway drive on two wheels."
"Two wheels!" said Jimmy scornfully. "Guess you never drove anything that did have four wheels but a baby-buggy."
But Stover, as though discouraged, disdained to reply, and sat in moody silence.
The Roman, who was still interested in a possible brother or two, strove in vain to draw him out. Stover wrapped himself in a majestic silence. Despite himself, the mystery of the discoverer was upon him. His glance fastened itself on the swelling horizon for the school that suddenly was to appear.