Tales from the X-bar horse camp : The blue-roan "outlaw" and other stories . ad a hasty pat, picked up the lead ropeof a pack mule standing near and, mounting, rode offdown the trail. The little meadow was located on a small bench highon the breast of a mountain whose bare granite peaks roserough and ragged far above the timber line. At one sideof the meadow, under a mighty fir tree, stood the herderstent, a white pyramid among the green foliage. If therewas another human being nearer than the little railroadtown forty-five miles away, the boy knew it not. Hewatched the man ride slowly down th
Tales from the X-bar horse camp : The blue-roan "outlaw" and other stories . ad a hasty pat, picked up the lead ropeof a pack mule standing near and, mounting, rode offdown the trail. The little meadow was located on a small bench highon the breast of a mountain whose bare granite peaks roserough and ragged far above the timber line. At one sideof the meadow, under a mighty fir tree, stood the herderstent, a white pyramid among the green foliage. If therewas another human being nearer than the little railroadtown forty-five miles away, the boy knew it not. Hewatched the man ride slowly down the trail until he dis-appeared behind a mass of trees. The dog at his sidewhined as the man was lost to view and poked his coldmuzzle into the boys hand. Ah, perrito mio and he hugged the fawning animalclose to his body, the patron has gone and left us here allalone to care for the sheep. Think of it, I, Pablo, to betrusted with so much. Shall we not care for them as forour own? Didst hear him say we were not to leave thiscamp while he was away? Ten black ones for markers,. Pablo 197 three bells and five great chivos. Aha, we shall count themeach a hundred times a day, and sly indeed will be the ewethat shall escape from us. Is it not so, my brave Pancho?And for answer the dog barked and romped about the ladas if to show he also appreciated the honor and responsi-bility thrust upon the two. Down the trail the sheepman, Hawk, jogged alongtoward the town where Mac, the recreant herder, was doubt-less wasting his substance in riotous living. If ever I githolt of that there rascal, Ill wear out the ground withhim, he soliloquized. To go off and leave me with a bandof ewes on my hands at such a time and not come back ashe promised. Serves me right for letting him go, for Imight a known hed not come back in time. That therePablos a good kid all right, but its a pretty big risk toturn over to a twelve-year-old boy that many ewes andlambs. Lucky for me he happened to stay in camp aftert
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookidtalesfromxba, bookyear1920
