taking lightning nips at him. At such times Pat
would lift his head and hold himself erect and vigilant
during the grazing-period, but he brooded,
none the less, and as persistently refused to eat.

This was not lost upon Stephen or the rangers,
neither his refusing to eat nor the white's antagonism.
They spent hours discussing both. Having
found in Pat none of the regular symptoms of
disease, yet aware that something grave was the
matter, the rangers fell to discussing Pat's condition
with much earnestness, frequently interrupting
their arguments on the one subject to declare
that the white horse, provided Pat held out and
healed up against his complaint, would get a fight
such as was never before witnessed in the desert.
That they were evenly matched both as to build
and strength was recognized; that Pat was possessed
of a reserve that told of finer courage all
agreed. Yet in this last lurked opportunities for
argument; and argue they did, sometimes long
into the night, the little man known as the Professor
and the rangy individual with the scrubby
beard showing the greatest vehemence. Yet despite
all their arguments, to which Stephen invariably
listened in smiling silence, none as yet
had offered good reason for the villainous attitude
of the white toward the peaceful Pat.

"_I_?? know!" suddenly declared the man with the
scrubby beard one evening, after the tin dishes
had been cleared away. "It's jealousy!" He
narrowed his eyes out through the darkness in
the direction of the horses. "Who ever 'u'd believe

[[214]]

p213 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p214w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p215

v?