as I fell. I was aroused
from my amazement by a peal of laughter, shrill but full of music.
Turning, I saw my pupil, as I guessed, standing at the head of a most
beautiful pinto (spotted) pony with a heavy cattle quirt in her hand. I
scrambled to my feet and said, somewhat angrily, I fear:

"What are you laughing at? Why don't you call back your dogs? They will
chase my pony beyond all reach."

She lifted her little head, shook back her masses of brown-red hair,
looked at me as if I were quite beneath contempt and said: "No, they
will kill him."

"Then," said I, for I was very angry, "I will kill them," pulling at the
revolver in my belt.

"Then," she said, and for the first time I noticed her eyes blue-black,
with gray rims, "I will kill you," and she whipped out an ugly-looking
revolver. From her face I had no doubt that she would not hesitate to do
as she had said. I changed my tactics, for I was anxious about my pony,
and said, with my best smile:

"Can't you call them back? Won't they obey you?"

Her face changed in a moment.

"Is it your pony? Do you love him very much?"

"Dearly!" I said, persuading myself of a sudden affection for the cranky
little brute.

She sprang upon her pinto and set off down the trail. The pony was now
coursing up and down the slopes, doubling like a hare, instinctively
avoiding the canyon where he would be cornered. He was mad with terror
at the huge brutes that were silently but with awful and sure swiftness
running him down.

The girl on the pinto whistled shrilly, and called to her dogs: "Down,
Wolf! Back, Loo!" but, running low, with long, stretched bodies, they
heeded not, but sped on, ever gaining upon the pony that now circled
toward the pinto. As they drew near in their circling, the girl urged
her pinto to meet them, loosening her lariat as she went. As the pony
neared the pinto he slackened his speed; immediately the nearer dog
gathered herself in two short jumps and sprang for the pony's throat.
But, even as she sprang, the lariat whirled round the girl's head
and fell swift and sure about the dog's neck, and next moment she lay
choking upon the prairie. Her mate paused, looked back, and gave up the
chase. But dire vengeance overtook them, for, like one possessed, the
girl fell upon them with her quirt and beat them one after the other
till, in pity for the brutes, I interposed.

"They shall do as I say or I shall kill them! I shall kill them!" she
cried, raging