r this.
He felt the eye of that whole train upon him, its approval, its
admiration, and his importance grew. He couldn't help it; he played up
to his audience. Some men invariably will, with the eye of the world
upon them. They're made that way.

Just for an instant the sight of that familiar figure, quiet there
before him, had given him an unpleasant start. The little matter of
unpaid back wages had crowded to mind and simultaneously a realization
that in numbers he was no longer superior, and therefore not equal in
other essentials. Just for an instant--and then the fact of the train
reassured him. Blue Jeans, hardy though he undoubtedly was and in
desperate need of cash, would scarcely venture force so publicly. It
would look to be nothing but rankest hold-up and robbery. And when
Blue Jeans, having out-thought him and arrived already at the same
depressing conclusion, let his regret show in his face, the
superintendent swelled some more. It appeared quite safe.

"Back that horse away from that bucket," he directed. It was the voice
of authority commanding the urchin on the curb; of seasoned seniority
chiding the heedlessness of the stripling of twenty-two.

"Can't you see that my beast wants water?" Blue Jeans was deeply
offended. Such opulence in anyone at such a moment would have seemed a
needless taunt; that chance had selected the superintendent to flaunt
it was surplusage of insult. Yet he could not even resent the
superintendent's gesture, wide-flung and arrogant to all beholders.
Again the superintendent looked to have the right of it. He clicked to
Girl o' Mine and she came to him, out of the way, like an obedient
puppy.

And then began the performance for the benefit of the car windows, and
which the car windows enjoyed. This picturesque son of the real West,
this colorful figure in new chaps and new shirt and thirty dollar hat,
tried to ride his horse up to the tub. And the horse would not go. In
the first place the horse was not thirsty; in the second place, like
Girl o' Mine, he was exceedingly afraid. Yet in the beginning, when
the Dee & Zee superintendent scratched him with the solid silver spurs
by way of comforting him, he merely rose on his hind legs, but no
nearer the tank.

At any other time the superintendent, who was not an unusual fool,
would have done the wiser thing; he would have dismounted and led his
animal. But now, even though he might have bested his own vanity i