you're the bright boy that they say
well-nigh started a mutiny down Regina! We heard a rumour about it up
here. Say, what was that mix-up, Reddy?"

George chuckled vaingloriously. "All over old 'Laddie'," he said.
"'Member that white horse? I forget his regimental number, but he was
about twenty-five years old. You remember how they'd taught him to chuck
up his head and 'laugh'? I was grooming him at 'midday stables.' Old
Harry Hawker was the sergeant taking 'stables' that day. He was stalking
up and down the gangway, blind as a bat, with his crop under his arm, and
his glasses stuck on the end of his nose--peering, peering. Well, old
Laddie happened to stretch himself, as a horse will, you know, stuck out
his hind leg, and old Harry fell wallop over it and tore his
riding-pants, and just then I said 'Laugh, Laddie!' and he chucked his
old head up and wrinkled his lips back. Of course the fellows fairly
howled and Harry lost his temper and let in to poor old Laddie with his
crop. It made me mad when he started that and I guess I gave him some
lip about it. He 'pegged' me for Orderly-room right-away for
insubordination.'

"I pleaded 'not guilty' and got away with it, too. Got all kinds of
witnesses--most of 'em only too d----d glad to be able to get back at
Harry for little things. Laddie was a proper pet of the Commissioner's.
He used to go into No. Four Stable and play with the old beggar and feed
him sugar nearly every day."

Yorke laughed mischievously, and was silent awhile. "Gully's knocked
about a deuce of a lot," he resumed presently. "Now and again he'll open
up a bit and talk, but mostly he's as close as an oyster--and the way he
can drop that drawl and come out 'flat-footed' with the straight
turkey--why, it'd surprise you! You'd think he was an out and out
Westerner, born and bred. He's a mighty good man on a horse, and around
cattle--and with a lariat. I don't know where the beggar's picked it up.
He claims he's only been in this country five years. Talks mostly about
the Gold Coast, and Shanghai, and the Congo. A proper 'Bully Hayes' of a
man he was there, too, I'll bet! He never says much about the States,
though I did hear him talking to a Southerner once, and begad, it was
funny! You could hardly tell their accents apart.

"Oh, he's not a bad chap to have for a J.P. It's mighty hard to get any
local man to accept a J.P.'s commission, anyway. They're most of 'em
scared of it