st's sure as you're fool
enough to put yerself on his back. I'll sell you a real hawse
mighty reasonable--"

"I'll risk him," cut in Red. "Could you lead him down here in the
morning?"

"Yes, indeedy--he's a perfect lady of a horse to lead---you can
pick up airy foot--climb all over him in fac', s'long's you don't
try to ride him or hitch him up. If you do that--well, young man,
you'll get a pretty fair idee of what is meant by one of the demons
of hell."

"What kind of saddle have you got?"

"One of them outlandish Western affairs that the scamp threw in
with the animal--you see, I thought I'd take up horse-back riding
for my health; I was in bed three weeks after my fust try."

"I'll go you seventy-five dollars for the outfit, just as you got
it--chaps, taps, and latigo straps, if you'll have it in front of
my house at nine o'clock to-morrow."

"All right, young man--all right sir--now don't blame me if you air
took home shoes fust."

"Nary," said Red. "Come and see the fun."

"I shorely will," replied the old gentleman.

IV

At nine the next morning there was a crowd in front of the house.

"What have you been doing now, Will?" asked Miss Mattie with
prescience.

"Only buying a horse, Mattie," returned Red soberly. "Seems to be
quite an event here."

"Is that all?"

"That's all, so help me Bob!" Red had a suspicion that there would
be objections if she knew what kind of a horse it was.

Lettis, who had roomed with Red overnight, was in the secret.

The horse arrived, leading very quietly, as Mr. Upton had said. It
was a buckskin, fat and hearty from long resting. Nothing could be
more docile than the pensive lower lip, and the meek curve of the
neck; nothing could be more contradictory than the light of its
eye; a brooding, baleful fire, quietly biding its time.

"Scatter, friends!" cried Red, as he put his foot in the stirrup.
"Don't be too proud to take to timber!"

He swung over as lightly as a trapeze performer, deftly catching
his other stirrup. The horse groaned and shivered.

"Don't let him get his head down! Gol-ding it! Don't you!"
screamed Mr. Upton in wild excitement.

Red threw the bridle over the horn of the saddle. "Go it, you
devil!" cried he. And they went. Six feet straight in the air,
first pass. The crowd scattered, as requested. They hurried at
that. Red gave the brute the benefit of his two hundred and a half
as they touched earth, and his oppo