lieved that he would not have the trouble he had
anticipated. Also, with the collar in position,
he was but a moment in adjusting the hames,
making fast the bottom strap, and hooking the
tugs securely. With everything in readiness he
then caught up the reins and the whip, and stepped
away to begin the real work of breaking.

"_Haya!_" he cried, and touched up the off-horse.
She started forward, as always with this
command from her master. But she did not go
far.

Pat was the cause of the delay. Understanding
neither the contraption at his heels, nor the word
of command from the man, he held himself motionless
and pleasantly uninterested, gazing slowly
about at the landscape. Nor did he offer to move
when the man cut him viciously with the whip.
The lash pitted his tender flesh and hurt mightily;
but even though he now understood what was required
of him, he only became stubborn -- bracing
his legs and flattening his ears, forcefully resisting
the counter efforts of the mare beside him.

And this was his nature. Long before he had
demonstrated that he would not be governed by a
whip. That day in the Richardses' corral, when he
was broken to saddle, cruelty alone would never
have conquered him. Cruelty there had been,
and much of it; but with the cruelty there had
been other things -- evidence of affection at the
right moment, both in his mistress and in the men
about him, and these, coupled with quick understanding,
had made the breaking a success. And

[[103]]

p102 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p103w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p104

v?