less.

The third member of the pack-outfit we bought at an auction sale in
rather a peculiar manner. About sixty head of Arizona horses of the C.
A. Bar outfit were being sold. Toward the close of the afternoon they
brought out a well-built stocky buckskin of first-rate appearance
except that his left flank was ornamented with five different brands.
The auctioneer called attention to him.

"Here is a first-rate all-round horse," said he. "He is sound; will
ride, work, or pack; perfectly broken, mild, and gentle. He would make
a first-rate family horse, for he has a kind disposition."

The official rider put a saddle on him to give him a demonstrating turn
around the track. Then that mild, gentle, perfectly broken family
horse of kind disposition gave about as pretty an exhibition of
barbed-wire bucking as you would want to see. Even the auctioneer had
to join in the wild shriek of delight that went up from the crowd. He
could not get a bid, and I bought the animal in later very cheaply.

As I had suspected, the trouble turned out to be merely exuberance or
nervousness before a crowd. He bucked once with me under the saddle;
and twice subsequently under a pack,--that was all. Buckshot was the
best pack-horse we had. Bar an occasional saunter into the brush when
he got tired of the trail, we had no fault to find with him. He
carried a heavy pack, was as sure-footed as Bullet, as sagacious on the
trail as Dinkey, and he always attended strictly to his own business.
Moreover he knew that business thoroughly, knew what should be expected
of him, accomplished it well and quietly. His disposition was
dignified but lovable. As long as you treated him well, he was as
gentle as you could ask. But once let Buckshot get it into his head
that he was being imposed on, or once let him see that your temper had
betrayed you into striking him when he thought he did not deserve it,
and he cut loose vigorously and emphatically with his heels. He
declined to be abused.

There remains but Lily. I don't know just how to do justice to
Lily--the "Lily maid." We named her that because she looked it. Her
color was a pure white, her eye was virginal and silly, her long bang
strayed in wanton carelessness across her face and eyes, her expression
was foolish, and her legs were long and rangy. She had the general
appearance of an overgrown school-girl too big for short dresses and
too young for long gowns;--a school-girl named F