s is a clear head and a strong body, not an
overtaxed man, as this 'pears to be. Well, sick or well, I hope he can
see through some of our muddles, if not all; and half a loaf is better
than no bread." Then he gathered the traveler's belongings, and
remarked: "I told Aleck to have a good supper ready. It's a fine night
and I thought we'd ride home afterwards. Unless----"

They left the car and Ninian answered the other's unspoken suggestion:

"No, I don't want to stay all night, good as Janet's beds are. I've
had a delicious sleep and feel like another man from this morning.
Hello! they've taken Nimrod out already, and evidently are waiting for
orders. I declare, the handsome beast looks as if he recognized this
place and was as glad to get back to it as I am."

Old "Forty-niner" left his guest's side and hurried to the spot where
a trainman held the spirited animal, stroking its neck and speaking
soothingly to it, to calm its excitement; and no sooner had the
ranchman's hand supplanted the trainman's than Nimrod ceased to
prance, and with a little final shiver, stood stock-still, uttering a
low whinny of delight.

"That's the talk, you beauty! Welcome home, old boy! Well, well, well!
if you ain't a sight to cure the headache! Yes, yes; it's all right.
This is Marion. We've got to stop at Aleck's first. Remember Aleck?
Remember Janet and her sugar? Well, well, well!"

Ninian approached, amazed and incredulous, inquiring:

"Think that creature knows what you're saying?"

"Forty-niner" turned upon the questioner indignantly.

"That's a fool sort of question for a smart man to ask! 'Think' he
knows? No. There isn't any 'thinking' in this. I know he knows, and I
know he's just as glad to set foot on his mother earth, here in
Marion, as I was t'other day when I stepped off this same train--or
its mate of the morning. I wish all the men in the world were half as
brainy as he is. And I tell you what, stranger, you couldn't have done
a thing would make your own welcome so sure as fetching Nimrod with
you. If you'd left him behind some of us would have had our own
opinion. Though I, for one, didn't know he was yours till this very
morning."

"And the led horse you spoke about?"

Ephraim looked up, surprised, answering, rather crisply:

"At home. Why not? When I heard about Nimrod I wasn't silly enough to
bring another."

"So if I hadn't brought him we'd been short a mount?" insisted the
reporter, teasingly.

"On