d
have ridden and rolled cigarettes without spilling a flake of tobacco;
but the trot was a sort of _one, two--almost three_, then, whump!
_three_ and a quick _four_, and so on, a decidedly irregular meter in
Pete's lyrical journey toward new fields and fairer fortune. "I'll
sure make Andy sit up!" he declared as the Concho buildings loomed
beneath the cool, dark-green outline of the trees. He dismounted to
open and close a gate. A half-mile farther he again dismounted to open
and close another gate. From there on was a straightaway road to the
ranch-buildings. Pete gathered himself together, pushed his hat down
firmly--it was new and stiff--and put Rowdy to a high lope. This was
something like it! Possibly Rowdy anticipated a good rest, and hay.
In any event, he did his best, rounding into the yard and up to the
house like a true cow-pony. All would have been well, as Pete realized
later, had it not been for the pup. The pup saw in Rowdy a new
playfellow, and charged from the door-step just as that good steed was
mentally preparing to come to a stop. The pup was not mentally
prepared in any way, and in his excitement he overshot the mark. He
caromed into Rowdy's one recalcitrant leg--it usually happens that
way--and Rowdy stepped on him. Pete was also not mentally prepared to
dismount at the moment, but he did so as Rowdy crashed down in a cloud
of dust. The pup, who imagined himself killed, shrieked shrilly and
ran as hard as he could to the distant stables to find out if it were
not so.

Pete picked up his hat. Rowdy scrambled up and shook himself. Pete
was mad. Over on the edge of the bunk-house veranda sat four or five
of the Concho boys. They rocked back and forth and slapped their legs
and shouted. It was a trying situation.

The foreman, Bailey, rose as Pete limped up. "We're livin' over here,"
said Bailey. "Did you want to see some one?"

Pete wet his lips. "The fo'man. I--I--jest rid over to see how you
was makin' it."

"Why, we 're doin' right fair. How you makin' it yourself?"

"I'm here," said Pete succinctly and without a smile.

"So we noticed," said the foreman mildly, too mildly, for one of the
punchers began to laugh, and the rest joined in.

"Wisht I had a hoss like that," said a cowboy. "Always did hate to
climb offen a hoss. I like to have 'em set down and kind o' let me
step off easy-like."

Pete sorely wanted to make a sharp retort, but he had learned the
wisdom