moved out to the corral. He leaned his arms upon
the fence and surveyed the colt with fresh interest.

"Thot li'l' _caballo_," he began, "he's bringin'
me mooch good luck. Thot _potrillo_ he's wort'
seven -- he's wort' -- _si_ -- eight dolars -- thot _potrillo_.
I t'ink I haf sell heem, too -- queek -- in town!
But first I must go cuttin' thee wood!" With
this he let down the bars and entered the inclosure.
Then his thoughts took an abrupt turn. "I keel
thot Pedro Garcia soomtime -- bet you' life! He's
stealin' fleas off a dog -- thot _hombre_!"

Felipe drove the borrowed horse out of the
inclosure, and then singled out the mate to the
mare. As he harnessed up this horse, the colt,
standing close by, revealed marked interest. Also,
as Felipe led the horse out of the corral the colt
followed till shut off by the bars, which Felipe
hurriedly put up. But they did not discourage
him. He remained very close to them, peering
out between the while Felipe hitched the team
to his empty lumber rigging. Then came the
crack of a whip, loud creaking of greaseless wheels,
the voice of Felipe in lusty demand, all as the outfit
set out up the trail toward the timber-slopes.
But not till the earth was still again, the cloud
of dust in the trail completely subsided, did the
colt turn away from the bars and seek his mother,
and then with a look in his soft-blinking eyes that
told of concentrated pondering on these mysteries
of life.

[[26]]

p025 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p026w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p027

v?