even as a word of kindness sank deeper and remained
longer to soften his memory. On his maternal
side he was the offspring of native stock,
but he was blooded to the last least end of him,
and while from his mother he had inherited
his softer traits, like his affection for those who
showed affection for him, it was from his sire, unknown
though he was, that he inherited an almost
human spirit of rebellion when driven by lash or
harsh word, and also the strength to exercise it.
In the face of these qualities, then, he was to be
broken to harness and a wagon by a man!

Felipe lost little time in preparation. He set
out through the settlement, his destination a distant
and kindly neighbor. He moved at a stride
so vigorous that the good townspeople, roused
by the rare spectacle of a man in a hurry, interrupted
their passive loafing beside well and in
doorway, and turned wondering eyes after him.
But if their eyes showed wonderment at his going,
on his return they showed amazement and
a kind of horror. For Felipe, acting for once in
the capacity of work-horse, was straining along
at the end of a huge wagon-tongue affixed to a
crude and mastodonic axle which in turn supported
two monolithic cart-wheels. It was a device
by which he meant to break the horse to harness,
and, perspiring freely, and swearing even
more freely, he dragged it shrieking for grease
through the settlement, really at work, but work
which was not to be admired. Reaching the clearing
in front of his house, he dropped the heavy

[[101]]

p100 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p101w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p102

v?