"Fall off in the sand!"

"Damnfido!" wailed the blue boy.

Sand flashed in rainbow arches against Awguan's brown face--he shut his
eyes against it; they turned up the hill beyond. A little space ahead
showed free of bush or boulder. Awguan took the hillside below the trail,
lowered his head, laid his ears back, and bunched his mighty muscles. He
drew alongside; leaning far over, heel to cantle, Stan threw his arm
about the small red neck, and dragged the red pony to a choking stand.
The small blue boy slipped to earth, twisted the soft bridle rein once
and again to a miraculous double half-hitch about the red pony's jaw,
and tightened it with a jerk.

"I've got him!" shrieked the blue boy.

The red pony turned mild bright eyes upon brown Awguan, and twitched red
velvet ears to express surprise, and wrinkled a polite nose.

"Hello! I hadn't noticed you before. Fine day, isn't it?" said the ears.

Awguan rolled his wicked eye and snorted. The blue boy shrilled a comment
of surprising particulars--a hatless boy in denim. Stanley turned his
head at a clatter of hoofs; Something Dewing, on the trail from town,
galloped to join them.

"That was a creditable arrest you made, Mitchell," he said, drawing rein.
"I saw it all from the top of Mule Hill. And I certainly thought our
Little Boy Blue was going to take the Big Trip. He'll make a hand!"