straightened his bent back, and looked blackly at the speaker,
while the grease dripped from the end of the stick.

"A hoss in my pastur' that belongs to you! What do ye mean by that?"

"Perhaps you haven't seen this handbill?" And Jack took the printed
description of Snowfoot from his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to
the astonished Peakslow.

[Illustration: THE AMIABLE MR. PEAKSLOW.]

"'Twenty dollars reward,'" he read. "'Stolen from the owner--a light,
reddish roan hoss--white forefeet--scar low down on the near side, jest
behind the shoulder--smaller scar on the off hip.' What's the meanin' of
all this?" he said, glancing at Jack.

"Isn't it plain enough?" replied Jack, quietly standing his ground.
"That is the description of the stolen horse; the horse is down in your
pasture."

"Do you mean to say _I_'ve stole your hoss?" demanded Peakslow, his
voice trembling with passion.

"Not by any means. He may have passed through a dozen hands since the
thief had him. All I know is, he is in your possession now."

"And what if he is?"

"Why, naturally a man likes to have what is his own, doesn't he? Suppose
a man steals your horse; you find him after a while in my stable; is he
your horse, or mine?"

"But how do I know but this is a conspyracy to cheat me out of a hoss?"
retorted Peakslow, looking again at the handbill, with a terrible frown.
"It may have all been cut and dried aforehand. You've your trap sot,
and, soon as ever the animal is in my hands, ye spring it. How do I know
the hoss is yourn, even if ye have got a description of him? Anybody can
make a description of anybody's hoss, and then go and claim him.
Besides, how happens it a boy like you owns a hoss, anyway?"

In a few words Jack told his story, accounting at once for his
ownership, and for the scars on the horse's side and hip.

"There are two other scars I can show you, under his belly. I didn't
mention them in the handbill, because they are not noticeable, unless
one is looking for them."

"Ye may show me scars all over him, fur's I know," was Peakslow's reply
to this argument. "That may prove that he's been hurt by suth'n or
other,--elephant, or not; but it don't prove you ever owned him."

"I can satisfy you with regard to that," said Jack, confidently. "Do you
object to going down with me and looking at him?"

"Not in the least, only wait till I git this wheel on. Ye may go and
_see_ the hoss in my presence, but ye can't _take_