igures."

Balaam, in his turn, now duly performed some professional laughing,
which was noted by Shorty under the horse's belly. He stood up and
squared round on Balaam. "Well, then," he said, "what'll yu give for
him?"

"Thirty dollars," said Balaam, looking far off into the sky, as Shorty
had looked.

"Oh, come, now," expostulated Shorty.

It was he who now did the feeling for an offer and this was what Balaam
liked to see. "Why yes," he said, "thirty," and looked surprised that he
should have to mention the sum so often.

"I thought yu'd quit them first figures," said the cow-puncher, "for yu'
can see I ain't goin' to look at em."

Balaam climbed on the fence and sat there "I'm not crying for your
Pedro," he observed dispassionately. "Only it struck me you were dead
broke, and wanted to raise cash and keep yourself going till you hunted
up a job and could buy him back." He hooked his right thumb inside his
waistcoat pocket. "But I'm not cryin' for him," he repeated. "He'd stay
right here, of course. I wouldn't part with him. Why does he stand that
way? Hello!" Balaam suddenly straightened himself, like a man who has
made a discovery.

"Hello, what?" said Shorty, on the defensive.

Balaam was staring at Pedro with a judicial frown. Then he stuck out a
finger at the horse, keeping the thumb hooked in his pocket. So meagre
a gesture was felt by the ruffled Shorty to be no just way to point at
Pedro. "What's the matter with that foreleg there?" said Balaam.

"Which? Nothin's the matter with it!" snapped Shorty.

Balaam climbed down from his fence and came over with elaborate
deliberation. He passed his hand up and down the off foreleg. Then he
spit slenderly. "Mm!" he said thoughtfully; and added, with a shade of
sadness, "that's always to be expected when they're worked too young."

Shorty slid his hand slowly over the disputed leg. "What's to be
expected?" he inquired--"that they'll eat hearty? Well, he does."

At this retort the Virginian permitted himself to laugh in audible
sympathy.

"Sprung," continued Balaam, with a sigh. "Whirling round short when his
bones were soft did that. Yes."

"Sprung!" Shorty said, with a bark of indignation. "Come on, Pede; you
and me'll spring for town."

He caught the horn of the saddle, and as he swung into place the horse
rushed away with him. "O-ee! yoi-yup, yup, yup!" sang Shorty, in the
shrill cow dialect. He made Pedro play an exhibition game of speed,
bringi