at all. But in spite of this he recognized his
young master, and sounded a welcoming nicker,
anxious to be off. For somehow he believed that
now he would be taken out into the sunlight.
Nor was he disappointed. After a moment's petting
the young man led him outdoors, and there
began to bridle and saddle him, slowly, with
many pauses for breath, all as if it hurt him, as
indeed it must, since he still wore the white bandages.
Then there appeared a group of interested
young men, suddenly, as though they had just discovered
the proposed departure.

"See here, Steve," one of them exploded, "this
ain't treating us a bit nice. You're a mighty
sick man. I ain't saying that to worry you,
neither; but I can't see the idee of your hopping
out of bed to do this thing. You stick around till
the doc comes again, anyway. Now, don't be a
fool, Steve."

Stephen continued slowly with his saddling.
"It's decent of you fellows," he said, quietly.
"And I don't want you to think me ungrateful.
It's just a feeling I've got. I want to get this
horse back where he belongs."

Another of the group took up the attempt at
persuasion. "But you're sick, man!" he exclaimed,
beginning to stroke Pat absently. "You
won't never make the depot! You owe it to everybody
you've ever knowed to get right back into
bed and stay there!"

But Stephen only shook his head. Yet he
knew that what the boys said was true. He was

[[259]]

p258 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p259w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p260

v?