Chapter VIII

Felipe Makes A Discovery

Pat waited in vain two whole days. Not
once did she come to him, not once did he lay
eyes upon her. He became nervous and irritable,
and in this emptiness, equal to that which he had
suffered during the three years she was away, he
spent every waking moment in the corral, standing
in his favorite corner, eyes strained toward
the house, occasionally interrupting the silence
with a pleading nicker. But his vigil gained him
nothing, his watching remained unrewarded, his
outcries went unanswered. Finally, with the
close of each day he would enter the stable, but
only to brood through half the night -- wondering,
wondering. But never did he give up hope. Nor
had he given up hope now, this morning of the
third day, when, standing in his corner as usual,
he heard a door close in the house.

As always, his heart leaped with expectation,
and he gave off a protracted whinny. Also he
pressed close to the fence. This time he was not
disappointed. For coming slowly toward him,
with her hands behind her back, was his mistress.

"Pat," she began, standing close before him,

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