day long.'

Left by himself with Senor, Jack prepared to make friends with him. He
was not a beautiful animal, being a long, thin, vagabond-looking dog;
but faithfulness was stamped in his honest, intelligent face, and Pedro
was right in saying he knew more than many a human being. Jack was
fond of animals, and made the first advances towards his guardian, but
Senor was not disposed to be friendly incautiously. His life had made
him suspicious of strangers, and he _hated boys_.

Like Jack, he had a rough time of it when he went to the Mexican
village with his master, as dogs and boys invariably attacked him. He
therefore avoided them, and at first deemed it wiser not to notice this
boy who spoke to him in a coaxing voice. He had stretched himself down
on the ground near the tent-door, and prepared to spend his hours of
watching with one eye on his charge and the other out-of-doors.

Jack, however, was restless and lonely, and anxious to make friends, so
he continued calling him in a caressing way, until at last Senor
thought he might as well investigate him closer. Accordingly he rose
up, and in a slow, cautious way walked up to the couch, and looked up
in the boy's face.

Apparently he was satisfied with his scrutiny, for when Jack ventured
to pat his rough head, he returned the friendly act by licking his
hand. As Jack talked and caressed him further, Senor gradually threw
off all reserve, and when Pedro returned he was surprised to find the
dog curled up on the couch, as friendly as possible with the invalid.

'Well, that's good! I see Senor has taken to you, boy,' he said
approvingly. 'He can't abide strangers as a rule, so I take it as a
sign as we'll get on all right.'

Pedro was a good nurse, and looked after Jack so well that in a few
days he was able to get up for a bit and sit at the tent-door. He was
very weak, and Pedro told him it was madness to think of trying to
continue his journey for some time.

When Jack was strong enough to tell him his story, Pedro proved a most
interested listener.

'An' where are your folks now?' he asked.

'Over on the Cochetopa Creek,' answered Jack.

'Why, that's way over t'other side o' the range. You'll never get
across the mountain pass alone,' exclaimed Pedro. 'It ain't safe for a
child to wander up there with no one near him. There's bears an'
mountain lions--let alone the timber wolves! You'd be eaten, boy,
afore you'd crossed the divide.'

Ja