adam"--taking off his hat, "used to ladies as some folks would like to
think themselves, I'd buy that there pinto and make a present of it to
this here lady as stands before me." Bill twisted uneasily.

"But I ain't goin' to be mean; I'll put that pinto in for the even money
for the lady if any man cares to put up the stuff."

"Well, my dear," said the Hon. Fred with a bow, "we cannot well let that
gage lie." She turned and smiled at him and the pinto was transferred
to the Ashley stables, to Bill's outspoken delight, who declared he
"couldn't have faced the music if that there pinto had gone across the
line." I confess, however, I was somewhat surprised at the ease with
which Hi escaped his wrath, and my surprise was in no way lessened when
I saw, later in the evening, the two partners with the stranger taking
a quiet drink out of the same bottle with evident mutual admiration and
delight.

"You're an A1 corker, you are! I'll be blanked if you ain't a bird--a
singin' bird--a reg'lar canary," I heard Hi say to Bill.

But Bill's only reply was a long, slow wink which passed into a frown
as he caught my eye. My suspicion was aroused that the sale of the pinto
might bear investigation, and this suspicion was deepened when Gwen next
week gave me a rapturous account of how splendidly Bill had disposed
of the pinto, showing me bills for one hundred and fifty dollars! To my
look of amazement, Gwen replied:

"You see, he must have got them bidding against each other, and besides,
Bill says pintos are going up."

Light began to dawn upon me, but I only answered that I knew they had
risen very considerably in value within a month. The extra fifty was
Bill's.

I was not present to witness the finishing of Bill's bluff, but was told
that when Bill made his way through the crowded aisle and laid his five
hundred and fifty dollars on the schoolhouse desk the look of disgust,
surprise and finally of pleasure on Robbie's face, was worth a hundred
more. But Robbie was ready and put down his two hundred with the single
remark:

"Ay! ye're no as daft as ye look," mid roars of laughter from all.

Then The Pilot, with eyes and face shining, rose and thanked them all;
but when he told of how the little girl in her lonely shack in the hills
thought so much of the church that she gave up for it her beloved pony,
her one possession, the light from his eyes glowed in the eyes of all.

But the men from the ranches who could understand