as pleasant
as possible in the circumstances.

After some persuasion on the part of the Filipino, the piebald pony
started and proved to be a fine little animal with an unusually
clean and even gait. The air was fresh and invigorating, and as we
passed other _Burnside_ friends trudging through the sand of the
beach or toiling laboriously along the dusty road of the town, we
congratulated ourselves on securing the only available trap in the
place, and marvelled at the way our pony covered ground.

"Why, any one could drive him," remarked one of the trio. "He's a
fine little beast." "To be sure," assented the others. But just then
a treacherous feminine hat blew off, and we had to stop and pick it
up. That was but the work of an instant--the stopping--but when it
came to starting again--well, you just ought to have seen how that
piebald acted! He simply laughed at the idea, his laugh extending in
ecstatic chuckles all the way down his spinal column till the very
carriage shook with his mirth. Then he planted his two fore feet down
hard as much as to say, "I challenge you to budge me one inch from
this spot," and though the Filipino threatened, entreated, implored,
and finally beat him unmercifully with the handle of the whip, the
piebald stood his ground.

At last the two men clambered out of the high vehicle, and after
tugging for some minutes at the rope bridle, succeeded in starting
the stubborn animal along, but at so furious a gait that they had all
they could do to get up over the wheels and into their seat again. All
went well for about a quarter of a mile, when to our surprise the
driver started to turn around. "Here, _hombre_," called one of the
men, in what he was pleased to consider Spanish, "we don't want to
go home yet. We want to go to the outposts--way out, sabe?" Yes, he
"sabed," grinning broadly the while, but this, senor, was the outpost.

We were dumbfounded, and stared stupidly at the white tent among
the trees. "Why don't they call 'em _in_posts?" growled one of
the men, and then to the driver, "Very well, _hombre_, take us to
the other three. We want to see 'em all." But this was easier said
than done. Again our wise-looking piebald balked, and balked most
awfully. Again the two men, at imminent danger to life and limb,
jerked at the rope bridle, and again barely escaped with their lives
as they performed the perilous acrobatic feat of falling headlong
into the carriage while it was going at ful