forgiveness for the dreadful hurt, bestowed similar
attention upon her -- in this attention, though he
did not know it, softening flesh that had experienced
no such consideration in years. Thus they
stood, side by side, mother and son, long into the
day, laying the foundation of a love that never
dies -- that strengthens, in fact, with the years,
though all else fail -- love between mother and her
offspring.

Other things, things of minor consequence,
added their mite to his early development. One
morning, while the mare was asleep, the colt, alert
and standing, was startled by the sudden movement
of a large rooster. The rooster had left the
ground with loud flapping of wings, and now
stood perched upon the corral fence, like a grim
and mighty conqueror, ruffling his neck feathers
and twisting his head in pre-eminent satisfaction.
But the colt did not understand this. Transfixed,
he turned frightened eyes upon the cause of the
unearthly commotion. Then suddenly, with another
loud flapping of wings, the rooster uttered a
defiant crow, a challenge that echoed far through
the canyon. Whereat the colt, eyes wide with
terror, whirled to his mother, whimpering babyishly.
But with the mare standing beside him
and caressing him reassuringly, all his nervousness
left him, and he again turned his eyes upon the
rooster and watched him till the cock, unable to
stir combat among his neighbors, left the fence
with another loud flapping of wings, and returned
to earth, physically and spiritually, there to set

[[22]]

p021 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p022w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p023

v?