er owned one an' never handled
one, and you know it," urged the Captain.

"Then it's high time you had a horse and knew how to drive him. Besides,
if I go to Sculpin Point I shall want to come to the village once in a
while. I sha'n't sail and I sha'n't walk. If I can't ride like a lady I
don't go to the Point."

The inevitable happened. Captain Bean promised to buy a horse next day.
Hence his visit to Jed Holden and his introduction to Barnacles, as the
Captain immediately named him.

As one who inspects an unfamiliar object, Captain Bean looked dazedly at
Barnacles. At the same time Barnacles inspected the Captain. With head
lowered to knee level, with ears cocked forward, nostrils sniffing and
under-lip twitching almost as if he meant to laugh, Barnacles eyed his
prospective owner. In common with most intelligent horses, he had an
almost human way of expressing curiosity.

Captain Bean squirmed under the gaze of Barnacles's big, calm eyes for a
moment, and then shifted his position.

"What in time does he want anyway, Jed?" demanded the Captain.

"Wants to git acquainted, that's all, Cap'n. Mighty knowin' hoss, he is.
Now some hosses don't take notice of anything. They're jest naturally
dumb. Then agin you'll find hosses that seem to know every blamed word
you say. Them's the kind of hosses that's wuth havin."

"S'pose he knows all the ropes, Jed?"

"I should say he did, Cap'n. If there's anything that hoss ain't done in
his day I don't know what 'tis. Near's I can find out he's tried every
kind of work, in or out of traces, that you could think of."

"Sho!" The Captain was now looking at the old white horse in an
interested manner.

"Yes, sir, that's a remarkable hoss," continued the now enthusiastic Mr.
Holden. "He's been in the cavalry service, for he knows the bugle calls
like a book. He's travelled with a circus--ain't no more afraid of
elephants than I be. He's run on a fire engine--know that 'cause he
wants to chase old Reliance every time she turns out. He's been a
street-car hoss, too. You jest ring a door gong behind him twice an' see
how quick he'll dig in his toes. The feller I got him off'n said he knew
of his havin' been used on a milk wagon, a pedler's cart and a hack.
Fact is, he's an all round worker."

"Must be some old by your tell," suggested the Captain. "Sure his
timbers are all sound?"

"Dun'no' 'bout his timbers, Cap'n, but as fer wind an' limb you won't
find a sounder hoss, of