. All he remembered was a quick rush of
blood to his brain, a mad desire to punish the man who was brutally
beating his pony, and then standing by the shaft of his buck-board
waiting for the man to get up.

"Gad, sir!" exclaimed a voice over his shoulder, "that was a clever
throw!" There was genuine admiration in the voice.

Shock looked up and saw an old gentleman, with white, close-cropped
hair and moustache and erect military form, regarding him with
admiration. He was riding a stout hunter, docked in English style.

"And served you perfectly right, Ike," continued the old gentleman.
"What business have you to strike any man's horse?"

"What the blank blank is he doing on the course?" said Ike wrathfully,
as he slowly rose from the ground and came toward Shock.

"I say, stranger," he said, coming over near to Shock and looking him
carefully in the eye, "I'll give you twenty-five dollars if you do that
agin. You took me unbeknownst. Now, git to work."

Shock's heart had got back to its right place and was beating its
steady beat. The old scrimmage smile was on his face.

"But I do not want to do it again, and I did take you unawares."

"Look-a-here," said Ike, touching Shock with his forefinger on the
breast, "do you think you kin do it agin?"

"Don't know that I could," said Shock quietly. "But I do know that I do
not intend to try. And, in fact, I do not know how it was done."

"Ikey does," drawled a voice.

There was a delighted roar from the crowd that had gathered round. Ike
looked round the circle of grinning men for a second or two.

"Say," he said slowly, "if any blank, blank son of a she-ape thinks he
knows how to do that trick when I'm a-watchin', here's his opportunity
right naouw--fer fun, or fer money, or," lowering his voice and
thrusting forward his face a little, "fer blood."

The laugh died out from the crowd. There was a silence for a moment or
two, and then the same voice drawled, "Nobody's hungry, I guess, Ikey,"
and Ike turned from them with a grunt of contempt.

"Now," he said, coming back to Shock, "I'd like to hear you talk."

Ike threw himself into an attitude of defence, but Shock's position
never changed, nor did the smile fade from his face.

"I have nothing to say except that I do not know how it happened. I saw
my horse being abused, and--well, I acted a little hastily, I fear."

"Hastily!" exclaimed the old gentleman, who had remained in the crowd.
"Nonsense! Perfectly