alive -- a girl past his understanding. Over dunes
and across flats he charged, followed closely by
the others, urging his horse to his utmost. But,
try as he might, he could not overtake her or even
lessen the distance between them, so furious was
her race for her lost horse. Finally he burst out
upon the trail and drew rein beside her, standing
with the others in the path of an oncoming
wood-wagon, anxiously awaiting its slow approach.

It was a curious outfit. One of the team, an
aged and decrepit horse, was laboring along with
head drooping and hoofs scuffling the trail, while
beside it, with head erect and nostrils aquiver and
hoofs lifting eagerly, stepped the glorious Pat!
Both horses were draped in a disreputable harness,
crudely patched with makeshift string and wire,
and both were covered with a fine coating of dust.
Atop all this, high and mighty upon an enormous
load of wood, sat a Mexican, complacently smoking
a cigarette and contentedly swinging his heels,
evidently elated with this prospect of parading
his horse before a group of Americans. But as
he drew close a look of uneasiness crept over him,
and he pulled up his team and shrugged his shoulders,
as a preliminary, no doubt, to disappearance
behind the Mexican shield of "No sabe!"

Helen swung close to him. There was a choice
between a contest and diplomatic concession.
She decided to offer to purchase the horse at once,
believing this to be the easiest way out of the
trouble.

"_Senor_," she began in Spanish, "_deseo_comprar_

[[122]]

p121 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p122w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p123

v?