Bred of the Desert: A Horse and a Romance Page 3

  CHAPTER III

  A SURPRISE

  Next morning, having returned from the timber-slopes, Felipe, fresh andradiant, appeared outside the corral in holiday attire. Part of thisattire was a pair of brand-new overalls. Indeed, the overalls were sonew that they crackled; and Felipe appeared quite conscious of theirnewness, for he let down the bars with great care, and with even greatercare stepped into the inclosure. Then it was seen, since he was aMexican who ran true to form, there was a flaw in all this splendor. Forhe had drawn on the new overalls over the older pair--worse, had drawnthem on over _two_ older pairs, as revealed at the bottoms, wherepeered plaintively two shades of blue--lighter blue of the older pair,very light blue of the oldest pair--the effect of exposure to desertsuns. So Felipe had on three pairs of overalls. Yet this was not all ofdistinction. Around his brown throat was a bright red neckerchief, whilebetween the unbuttoned edges of his vest was an expanse of brightgreen--the coloring of a tight-fitting sweater.

  There was reason for all this. Felipe was going to town, and he wastaking the mare along with him, and the mare naturally would take hercolt; and because he had come to know the value of the colt, Felipewished to appear as prosperous in the eyes of the Americans in town ashe believed the owner of so fine a colt ought to appear.

  Therefore, still careful of his overalls, he set about leisurely toprepare the team for the journey. He crossed to the shed, hauled out theharness, tossed it out into the inclosure. Promptly both horses steppedinto position. Also, the older mare, whether through relief or regret,sounded a shrill nicker. This brought the colt to her side, where hefell to licking her affectionately, showing his great love for her bonyframe. And when Felipe led the horses out of the corral he followedclose beside her, and when outside held close to her throughout thehitching, and to the point even when Felipe clambered to the top of thehigh load and caught up the reins and the whip. Then he stepped back,wriggling his fuzzy little tail and blinking his big eyes curiously.

  "Well, _potrillo_," began Felipe, grinning down upon the tinyspecimen of life, "we goin' now to town! But first you must be ready!You ready? All right! We go now!" And he cracked the whip over the team.

  They started forward, slowly at first, the wagon giving off many creaksand groans, then fast and faster, until, well in the descent of the hardcanyon trail, the horses were jogging along quite briskly.

  The colt showed the keenest interest and delight. For a time he trottedbeside the mare, ears cocked forward expectantly, eyes sweeping thecanyon alertly, hoofs lifting to ludicrous heights. Then, as the firstnovelty wore off, and he became more certain of himself in theseswift-changing surroundings, he revealed a playfulness that tickledFelipe. He would lag behind a little, race madly forward, sometimes runfar ahead of the team in his great joy. But he seemed best to like tolag. He would come to a sudden stop and, motionless as a dog pointing abird, gaze out across the canyon a long time, like one trying to findhimself in a strange and wonderful world. Or, standing thus, he wouldreveal curious interest in the rocks and stumps around him, and he wouldstare at them fixedly, blinking slowly, a look of genuine wonderment inhis big, soft eyes. Then he would strain himself mightily to overtakethe wagon.

  Once in a period of absorbed attention he lost sight of the outfitcompletely. This was due not so much to his distance in the rear as tothe fact that the wagon, having struck a bend in the trail, had turnedfrom view. But he did not know that. Sounding a baby outcry of fear, hescurried ahead at breakneck speed, frantic heels tossing up tiny spurtsof dust, head stretched forward--and thus soon caught up. After that heremained close beside his mother until the wagon, rocking down the mouthof the canyon, swung out upon the broad mesa. Here the outfit could beseen for miles, and now he took to lagging behind again, and to friskingfar ahead, always returning at frequent intervals for the motherlyassurance that all was well.

  As part of the Great Scheme, all this was good for him. In his briefpanic when out of sight of his mother he was taught how very necessaryshe was to his existence. In his running back and forth, with now andagain breathless speeding, he developed the muscles of his body, to theend that later he might well take up an independent fight for life. Inthe curious interest he displayed in all subjects about him he lentunknowing assistance to a spiritual development as necessary as physicaldevelopment. All this prepared him to meet men and measures as he wasdestined to meet them--with gentleness, with battle,--withaffection--like for like--as he found it. It was all good for him, thismovement, this change of environment, this quick awakening of interest.It shaped him in both body and spirit to the Great Purpose.

  This interest seemed unbounded. Whenever a jack-rabbit shot across thetrail, or a covey of birds broke from the sand-hills, he would come to aquick pause and blink curiously, seeming to understand and approve, andto be grateful, as if all these things were done for him. Also, witheach halt Felipe made with _compadres_ along the trail, friends whoentered with him in loud badinage over the ownership of the colt--anownership all vigorously denied him--the colt himself would cock hisears and fix his eyes, seemingly aware of his importance and pleased tobe the object of the cutting remarks. And thus the miles from mountainto the outskirts of town were covered, miles pleasurable to him, everyinch revealing something of fresh interest, every mile finding him moreaccustomed to the journey.

  They reached a point on the outskirts where streets appeared, sharplydefined thoroughfares, interlacing one with the other. And as theyadvanced vehicles began to turn in upon the trail, a nondescriptcollection ranging from an Indian farm-wagon off the Navajo reservationto the north to a stanhope belonging to some more affluent American inthe suburbs. With them came also many strange sounds--Mexican oaths,mild Indian commands, light man-to-man greetings of the day. Also therewas much cracking of whips and nickering of horses along the line. Andthe result of all this was that the colt revealed steadily increasingnervousness, a condition enhanced by the fact that his mother, heldrigidly to her duties by Felipe, could bestow upon her offspring butvery little attention. But he held close to her, and thus moved into theheart of town, when suddenly one by one the vehicles ahead came to adead stop. Felipe, perched high, saw that the foremost wagons hadreached the railroad crossing, and that there was a long freight-trainpassing through.

  Team after team came into the congestion and stopped. Cart and wagon andphaeton closed in around the colt. There was much maneuvering for space.The colt's nervousness increased, and became positive fear. He dartedwild eyes about him. He was completely hedged in. On his right loomed alarge horse; behind him stood a drowsing team; on his left was adirt-cart; while immediately in front, such was his position now, stoodhis mother. But, though gripped in fear, he remained perfectly stilluntil the locomotive, puffing and wheezing along at the rear of thetrain, having reached the crossing, sounded a piercing shriek. This wasmore than he could stand. Without a sound he dodged and whirled. Heplunged to the rear and rammed into the drowsing team; darted to theright and into the teeth of the single horse; whirled madly to the left,only to carom off the hub of a wheel. But with all this defeat he didnot stop. He set up a wild series of whirling plunges, and, completelycrazed now, darted under the single horse, under a Mexican wagon, undera team of horses, and forth into a little clearing. Here he came to astop, trembling in every part, gazing about in wildest terror.

  Following its shrill blast, the engine puffed across the crossing, thegates slowly lifted, and the foremost vehicles began to move. Soon thewhole line was churning up clouds of dust and rattling across therailroad tracks. Felipe was of this company, cracking his whip andyelling lustily, enjoying the congestion and this unexpected opportunityto be seen by so many American eyes at once in his gorgeous raiment. Inthe town proper, and carefully avoiding the more rapidly movingvehicles, he turned off the avenue into a narrow side street, and pulledup at a water-trough. As he dropped the reins and prepared to descend, afriend of his--and he had many--hailed him from the sidewalk. Hastilyclambering down, he seized the man's arm i
n forceful greeting, andindicated with a jerk of his head a near-by saloon.

  "We go gettin' soomt'ing," he invited. "I have munch good luck to tellyou."

  Inside the establishment Felipe became loquacious and boasting. He nowwas a man of comfortable wealth, he gravely informed his friend--awizened individual with piercing eyes. Besides winning a bet of fifteendollars in money, he explained, he also held a note against FrankeGamboa for fifty dollars more on his property. But that was not all.Aside from the note and the cash in hand, he was the owner of a colt nowof great value--_si_--worth at least ten dollars--which, added tothe other, made him, as anybody could see, worthy of recognition. Withthis he placed his empty glass down on the bar and swung over intoEnglish.

  "You haf hear about thot?" he asked, drawing the back of his hand acrosshis mouth. Then, as the other shook his head negatively, "Well, I hafnew one--_potrillo_--nice li'l' horse--_si_!" He cleared histhroat and frowned at the listening bartender. "He's comin' couple daysbefore, oop on thee mesa." He picked up the glass, noted that it wasempty, placed it down again. "I'm sellin' thot _potrillo_ quick,"he went on--"bet you' life! I feed heem couple weeks more mebbe--feedheem beer and soom cheese!" He laughed raucously at the allegedwitticism. "Thot's thee preencipal t'ing," he declared, soberly. "Youmust feed a horse." He said this not as one recommending that a horse bewell fed, but as one advising that a horse be given something to eatoccasionally. "_Si!_ Thot's thee preencipal t'ing! Then he's makin'a fast goer--bet you' life! I haf give heem--" He suddenly interruptedhimself and laid firm hold upon the man's arm. "You coom wit' me!" heinvited, and began to drag the other toward the swing-doors. "You coomlook at thot _potrillo_!"

  They went outside. On the curb, Felipe gazed about him, first with alook of pride, then with an expression of blank dismay. He stepped downoff the curb, roused the drowsing mare with a vigorous clap, againlooked about him worriedly. After a long moment he left the team,walking out into the middle of the street, and strained his eyes in bothdirections. Then he returned and, heedless of his new overalls, got downupon his knees, sweeping bleared eyes under the wagon. And finally, witha last despairing gaze in every direction, he sat down upon the curb andburied his face in his arms.

  For the colt was gone!