his master draw down. Also, the others came to
a stop. With the men dismounted, he swept
eyes over the scene. But he saw nothing that appeared
to warrant pause. The place was dead and
desolate, barren of all that which had invariably
met his gaze when pausing with his mistress.
But when one of the men began to build a fire,
while the others flung off light saddle-bags from
the little gray and the sorrel -- an exceptionally
rangy horse -- he came in a way to understand.
Further, with the fire crackling pleasantly and
his bridle and saddle removed, he understood
fully the cause of this halt. It was time to feed;
and, raging with hunger, he forgot all other distress
in the thought that now he would have a
generous quantity of food, which he believed was
due him, since he had more than earned it in
his prolonged service through the night. Indeed,
so certain was he of reward, he prepared himself
for sugar and quartered apples, and, with mouth
dripping saliva, stood very still, eyes following
every move of his new master.

But he was doomed to bitter disappointment.
Instead of sugar and quartered apples, his master
tied a rope around his neck and, with a friendly
slap, left him to his own devices. Wondering at
this, he gazed about him -- saw that the other
horses were grazing. Disappointed, fretful, stung
into action by hunger pangs, he set out in their
direction, curious to learn what it was they were
feeding upon so eagerly. But, as had happened the
night before, he found himself checked with a jerk.

[[165]]

p164 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p165w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p166

v?