"Why, I knowed that harse when I first come to the country. She was runnin' with her mother over in the Bighorns, and Bear George at Tensleep owned her. Some said that Frank McMannigle's runnin' harse, 'Left Hand,' was her father, and others said she was jest a ketch colt, but I dunno. Her mother was a sorrel with a star in her forehead and the Two-pole-punkin' brand on her left shoulder. If I ain't mistaken, she had one white hind stockin' and they was a wire cut above her hock that was kind of a blemish. She got a ring bone and they had to kill her, but Bear George sold the colt, this mare here, to a feller at Kaysee over on Powder River and he won quite considerable money on her. It was about thirteen year ago that I last seen her, but I knowed her the minute I laid eyes on her. She et musty hay one winter and got the tizic, but you never would know it unless you run her. One of her stifle j'ints----" The mare's owner interrupted at this juncture: "You jest turn your mouth on, don't you, Tex, and go off and leave it?" "I happened to know a little somethin' about this harse," apologetically began "Tex," whose other name was McGonnigle, "so I thought----" "So you thought you'd butt in and queer the sale of it. I suppose you'd suffer somethin' horrible if there was a horse-deal on and you had to keep your mouth shut?" Mr. McGonnigle protested feebly that he had no such idea when he gave the horse's history, and Wallie was much interested in the wrangle, but he thought he caught a glimpse of Canby through one of the doorways of a stable so he hurried across the yard and found him in conversation with Boise Bill, who was grooming a work-horse which quite evidently was to be auctioned. Boise Bill grinned when he saw Wallie and nodded. Canby stepped out and greeted Wallie with some affability. "I've been watching for you. Have you bid on anything?" "Not yet. But I saw a fine-looking cow that I mean to buy if she is all she ought to be," Wallie replied with a touch of importance. "It seems to me that a good cow will help out wonderfully. I am very fond of milk and it will be useful in cooking. With a cow and a hen or two----" Canby and Wallie crossed the yard to where a mild-eyed Jersey was being dressed in a halter preparatory to being led forward and put up at auction. "Will you be good enough to permit me to examine this animal?" Wallie asked of her caretaker. "Shore," he replied, heartily, though he looked puzzled. Wallie drew off his riding gloves and stepped up briskly in a professional manner and pried open the mouth of the protesting cow. He exclaimed as he let go abruptly: "Why--she's old! I don't want her. She hasn't a single tooth left in her upper jaw. It's a fortunate thing I looked at her." A small boy roosting on the corral snickered. The cow's guardian smiled broadly and openly and deliberately winked at Canby. Offended, Wallie demanded: "Am I in error as to her age?"