s and
confusion that made him clasp her fingers loosely and let them go on the
instant. She did not see him rub his palm down the leg of his dark gray
trousers as he walked down the aisle, and if she had she would not have
seen any significance in the movement.

Andy Green did that again before he stepped off the train. For he felt
that he had shaken hands with a traitor to himself and his outfit, and
it went against the grain. That the traitor was a woman, and a charming
woman at that, only intensified his resentment against her. A man can
fight a man and keep his self respect; but a man does mortally dread
being forced into a position where he must fight a woman.

CHAPTER 3. THE KID LEARNS SOME THINGS ABOUT HORSES

The Kid--Chip's Kid and the Little Doctor's--was six years old and big
for his age. Also he was a member in good standing of the Happy Family
and he insisted upon being called Buck outside the house; within it the
Little Doctor insisted even more strongly that he answer to the many
endearing names she had invented for him, and to the more formal one of
Claude, which really belonged to Daddy Chip.

Being six years old and big for his age, and being called Buck by
his friends, the Happy Family, the Kid decided that he should have a
man's-sized horse of his own, to feed and water and ride and proudly
call his "string." Having settled that important point, he began to cast
about him for a horse worthy his love and ownership, and speedily he
decided that matter also.

Therefore, he ran bareheaded up to the blacksmith shop where Daddy Chip
was hammering tunefully upon the anvil, and delivered his ultimatum from
the door way.

"Silver's going to be my string, Daddy Chip, and I'm going to feed him
myself and ride him myself and nobody else can touch him 'thout I say
they can."

"Yes?" Chip squinted along a dully-glowing iron bar, laid it back upon
the anvil and gave it another whack upon the side that still bulged a
little.

"Yes, and I'm going to saddle him myself and everything. And I want you
to get me some jingling silver spurs like Mig has got, with chains that
hang away down and rattle when you walk." The Kid lifted one small foot
and laid a grimy finger in front of his heel by way of illustration.

"Yes?" Chip's eyes twinkled briefly and immediately became intent upon
his work.

"Yes, and Doctor Dell has got to let me sleep in the bunk-house with the
rest of the fellers. And I ain't going to