he swept his bony finger round the big liquid eye of the racer. The
Colonel looked, looked closer, parted the hair, looked down to the roots
and saw _paint--red paint, white paint, black paint_--traces of
horseshoes, red hands, white patches and stripes; not much, but enough
to tell the tale.

Without a question, _Blazing Star was the Pinto that had won the race_!

The simple Red men knew that the Buckskin was overmatched, so they
secured the only horse on the plains that _could_ win. They drove the
Crows away at the right moment to leave a red herring trail. Then,
having captured the stakes, they calmly collected two hundred and fifty
dollars for restoring him to his owner. The simple Red men!

And when Jim Hartigan heard of it he yelled with joy. He laughed; he
almost cried. After all, his horse had won; his Blazing Star was the
steed of all the plains. He was tossed with different moods--regret and
joy, grim humour, sadness and madness; he was stirred to the depths; all
his primitive nature was set free. He did not sleep for hours, and when
the dawn was near, his boyhood memories filled his brain and he was back
in the livery stable garret once again, and repossessed of all his
boyhood's ways and words he softly swore himself to sleep.

CHAPTER XLIV

A Fair Rider

Life at Cedar Mountain had dropped to normal. Charles Bylow and his wife
were regular church members now, and no warmer, truer friends on earth
had Hartigan. Pat Bylow had gone to Deadwood seeking work on the railway
and it was said that his wife was still importing an occasional flask;
but no more sprees took place. Jack Lowe had left Cedar Mountain
abruptly after the Bylow affair. Higginbotham had spread the truth about
Lowe's part in the drugged liquor and the schoolteacher had received
pointed advice to leave the town. He lost no time. Dr. Carson and Jack
Shives were alternately confronting each other with abstruse problems;
John and Hannah Higginbotham were building an addition to their house
and getting a hired girl; and old man Boyd was worrying over a possible
extension of the road to Deadwood, which might seriously hurt his
business.

Jim found life very sweet as he grew into the hearts of the townsfolk
and came to know their perfectible qualities; he was acquiring a fine
reputation for pulpit oratory. Every Thursday and every Sunday afternoon
and evening were spent at the Boyds' as their accepted son-in-law to be.
On these occasio