ng to hang
on to him. Once in a while there is an honest deal in horses. I am not
bringing up anything, Sam. I believe in letting bygones be bygones,
although you did risk my life and my man's. But this time I am all
right." Gordon gathered up the reins again, and again Sam Tucker stopped
him. James barely saw the man's mouth move. He could not hear that he
said anything, but a peculiar glow of eager greed lit up his long face,
and Gordon seemed to understand him perfectly. "You can take your oath
not," he said brusquely. "What do you take me for? You have stuck me
once, and now you think you are going to do it again. You can bet your
life you are not." Again he gathered up the reins. Sam Tucker's face
gleamed like a coal. James saw for the first time in its entirety the
trading instinct rampant. Again Gordon seemed to understand what had
apparently not been spoken. "No, Sam Tucker," he declared almost
brutally, "I will not trade back for that old mare you cheated me out
of, not if you were to give me your whole farm to boot. I know that old
mare. I wasn't the only one that got stuck. She's got the heaves. I know
her. No, sir, you don't do me again. I've got a good horse this time,
and I mean to hang on to him."

Again Gordon attempted to drive on, and once more Sam stopped him. James
felt at last fairly dizzy, when he heard the farmer almost beg Gordon to
trade horses, offer him twenty-five dollars to boot, and the apples. He
sat in the buggy watching while the mare was led out of the stable, the
black horse was taken out of the traces, and the bridle was left on
without a remonstrance on Sam's part, and exchanged for a much newer
one, while twenty-five dollars in dirty bank-notes were carefully
counted out by Sam, and then Gordon jumped into the buggy and drove off.
He was quivering with suppressed mirth. "The biter is bitten this time,"
he said as soon as he was out of hearing of Sam Tucker. Then he made an
exclamation of dismay.

"What's the matter?" asked James.

"Well, I have left my whip. I must risk it and go back. I paid a lot for
that whip."

Gordon turned and drove back at a sharp trot. When they came alongside
the farm fence James saw the whip lying on the ground, and jumped out to
get it. He was back in the buggy, and they were just proceeding on
their way, when there was a shout, and Sam Tucker came rushing around
the house, and held the horse's tail as Aaron had done in the morning.
"Comes off," he g