sted feebly that he had no such idea when he gave
the horse's history, and Wallie was much interested in the wrangle, but
he thought he caught a glimpse of Canby through one of the doorways of a
stable so he hurried across the yard and found him in conversation with
Boise Bill, who was grooming a work-horse which quite evidently was to
be auctioned.

Boise Bill grinned when he saw Wallie and nodded. Canby stepped out and
greeted Wallie with some affability.

"I've been watching for you. Have you bid on anything?"

"Not yet. But I saw a fine-looking cow that I mean to buy if she is all
she ought to be," Wallie replied with a touch of importance. "It seems
to me that a good cow will help out wonderfully. I am very fond of milk
and it will be useful in cooking. With a cow and a hen or two----"

Canby and Wallie crossed the yard to where a mild-eyed Jersey was being
dressed in a halter preparatory to being led forward and put up at
auction.

"Will you be good enough to permit me to examine this animal?" Wallie
asked of her caretaker.

"Shore," he replied, heartily, though he looked puzzled.

Wallie drew off his riding gloves and stepped up briskly in a
professional manner and pried open the mouth of the protesting cow.

He exclaimed as he let go abruptly:

"Why--she's old! I don't want her. She hasn't a single tooth left in her
upper jaw. It's a fortunate thing I looked at her."

A small boy roosting on the corral snickered. The cow's guardian smiled
broadly and openly and deliberately winked at Canby.

Offended, Wallie demanded:

"Am I in error as to her age?"

"Well--if a cow ever had a set of teeth in her upper jaw she'd be in a
side-show. They don't have 'em. This cow is only three--a young animal."

"That's true," Canby assented.

"I declare! It seems very curious," Wallie exclaimed, astounded. He
added, with all his importance punctured:

"I fear I have much to learn."

"This is a good place to learn it," observed the cow's valet.

Wallie bought the Jersey at private sale, and needless to say, paid its
full value.

"She'll be fresh in January," the man said to him.

Wallie looked bewildered, so the other explained further:

"She'll have a calf." He said it in such a confidential manner that
Wallie thought it was a secret and lowered his voice to answer:

"I'm glad of it." He had a notion that he had gotten the best of Canby
and wished that Miss Spenceley and The Colonial folk knew he had mad