??-- the cutting remarks. And thus the miles from
mountain to the outskirts of town were covered,
miles pleasurable to him, every inch revealing
something of fresh interest, every mile finding him
more accustomed to the journey.

They reached a point on the outskirts where
streets appeared, sharply defined thoroughfares,
interlacing one with the other. And as they advanced
vehicles began to turn in upon the trail,
a nondescript collection ranging from an Indian
farm-wagon off the Navajo reservation to the
north to a stanhope belonging to some more
affluent American in the suburbs. With them
came also many strange sounds -- Mexican oaths,
mild Indian commands, light man-to-man greetings
of the day. Also there was much cracking
of whips and nickering of horses along the line.
And the result of all this was that the colt revealed
steadily increasing nervousness, a condition
enhanced by the fact that his mother, held
rigidly to her duties by Felipe, could bestow upon
her offspring but very little attention. But he
held close to her, and thus moved into the heart
of town, when suddenly one by one the vehicles
ahead came to a dead stop. Felipe, perched high,
saw that the foremost wagons had reached the
railroad crossing, and that there was a long freight-train
passing through.

Team after team came into the congestion and
stopped. Cart and wagon and phaeton closed in
around the colt. There was much maneuvering
for space. The colt's nervousness increased, and

[[31]]

p030 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p031w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p032

v?