cigarette from between his lips. "I mean," he
added, "where you haf _steal_ thot _caballo_?"

Felipe winced. But he did not immediately
retort. He carried out his bluff, unbuckling and
buckling one of the straps, then mildly straightened
up and faced the man.

"Pedro," he began, tensely, "you haf know -- Jose,
Juan, Manuel, Francisco, Carlotta -- all haf
know -- thot eet is only one t'ief in all thees place!
And thot man -- thot t'ief -- is Pedro Garcia!"

Pedro grunted. "Where you haf steal thot
horse?" he repeated, without show of anger. "You
can give me thot horse," he continued, placidly.
"You haf owe me mooch money. I take thot
horse for payment -- everyt'ing. You give thot
_caballo_ to me."

Felipe turned to the team. "I give you one
keeck in thee belly!" he roared. Then he touched
up the horses and started back toward the house.
Gone was all elation, all pride, all gleeful consciousness
of possession.

Gaining the clearing, he decided to try out the
other horse with the black. He realized that the
aged mare was unfit, even though in the last hour
she had appeared greatly to improve, and he must
accordingly match up a team. So he unhitched
her and swung the mate into place. He met with
disagreeable surprise, however. The black would
not pull with this horse. Instead, he held himself
quietly at rest, gazing about sleepily over the
landscape, a trick of his, as Felipe had learned,
when quietly rebelling. Felipe looked at him a

[[110]]

p109 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p110w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p111

v?