ro. Puedo pagar cualquire cantidad razonable por el. Se
perdio y nosotros lo cuidamos, y he aprendido a quererlo mucho. Si usted
quiere venderlo me haria un gran favor. Siento mucho que me lo hayan
quitado._"

The Mexican looked relieved. He slowly removed his hat with true
Castilian courtesy.

"_Senorita_," he replied, "_lo venderia con gusto pero pienso que
me paga lo que quiero por el_."

Which delighted Helen. "_Pagare lo que sea._"

The Mexican hesitated a moment. "_?Pagara cuarenta pesos?_" he
asked, finally. "_Yo tambien quiero al caballo mucho_," he added.
"_Pero por cuarenta pesos pienso--pienso que lo olvido._" And he
grinned.

Helen turned to the others. For Stephen's benefit she explained what had
been said, and the men promptly offered to make up the required forty
dollars. Helen turned to the Mexican, accepted his price, and requested
him to release Pat from the harness. Whereat the Mexican smiled broadly;
shrugged his shoulders suddenly; forgot his role of "No sabe."

"How," he burst out--"how I'm gettin' thees wagon to town? I'm pullin'
eet myself?"

The others laughed. Then Helen, deciding upon another arrangement,
instructed him to drive forward. She could see her father in town, she
explained to the others, and there also, after the exchange of money,
the Mexican could purchase another horse. Which closed the matter. The
Mexican started the team forward, while the others fell in alongside,
ranging themselves on either side. Thus they journeyed into town--a
strange cavalcade--Pat prancing, the mare drooping, the Mexican visibly
pleased, the others gratified by their unexpected success. In town they
turned into a side street, and there Helen left them, going off in the
direction of her father's office. When she returned, the Judge was with
her. He read the Mexican a brief but stern lecture on the law pertaining
to the recovery of lost property, and closed the deal. Whereupon the
wood-hauler unharnessed Pat, bestowed him smilingly upon Helen, and took
himself off, evidently in quest of another horse, for he headed straight
as a plumb-line for the city pound.

* * * * *

Pat was home again. He knew it from many things--the white fence, the
clean stable, the Mexican hostler with broom in hand. And though he was
at home where he wanted to be, yet he found himself filled with vague
uneasiness. After a time he sought to relieve it. He made his way into
th