a white sort o' feller. Tell you what I'll just do with you. O' course,
I was thinkin' you'd win the whole outfit, saddle an' all. I think a
heap o' my saddle, an' long's you ain't got no saddle yet that you have
got used to, like, it don't make much difference to you if you get
another saddle. But you just take this here hoss along. No, that's all
right. I kin git me another back to the corral, just as good as this
one. Jim Parsons, feller on the big bunch o' cows that come up from the
San Marcos this spring, why, he got killed night before last. I'll just
take one o' his hosses, I reckon. I kin fix it so'st you kin git his
saddle, if you take a notion to it."

Franklin looked twice to see if there was affectation in this calm
statement, but was forced, with a certain horror, to believe that his new
acquaintance spoke of this as a matter of fact, and as nothing startling.
He had made no comment, when he was prevented from doing so by the
exclamation of the cowboy, who pointed out ahead.

"There's Batty's place," said he, "an' there's Batty himself. Git up,
quick; git up, an' ride in like a gentleman. It's bad luck to walk."

Franklin laughed, and, taking the reins, swung himself into the saddle
with the ease of the cavalry mount, though with the old-fashioned grasp
at the cantle, with the ends of the reins in his right hand.

"Well, that's a d----d funny way gittin' on top of a hoss," said Curly.
"Are you 'fraid the saddle's goin' to git away from you? Better be
'fraid 'bout the hoss.--Git up, Bronch!"

He slapped the horse on the hip with his hat, and gave the latter a whirl
in the air with a shrill "Whoooop-eee!" which was all that remained