for one of his age, he would inadvertently plunge
into her, or stumble over a water-pail, she would
nicker grave disapproval, or else chide him more
generously by licking his neck and withers a long
time in genuine affection.

Thus the colt changed in both spirit and
physique. And the more he changed, and the
larger he grew, the greater source of trouble he
became to the Mexican. Before, he had feared the
man. Now he felt only a kind of hatred, and this
lent courage to make of himself a frequent source
of annoyance.

With the return of warm weather he resumed
his old place in his favorite corner. He did this
through both habit and a desire to warm himself
in the sun's rays. And it was all innocent enough
-- this thing. Yet, innocent though it was, more
than once, in passing, the Mexican struck him
with whatever happened to be in his hands. At
such times, whimpering with pain, he would dart
to an opposite corner, there to stand in trembling
fear, until, his courage returning, and his hatred
for the man upholding him, he would return and
defiantly resume his day-dreaming in the corner.
This happened for perhaps a dozen times before
he openly rebelled. And when he did rebel --
when the Mexican struck him sharply across the
nose -- he whipped around his head like lightning
and, still only half awake, sank his teeth savagely
into the man's shoulder. Followed a string of oaths
and sudden appearance of a club, which might
have proved serious but for the Judge's timely

[[50]]

p049 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p050w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p051

v?