"PASTURES NEW" 129 



and a half, the car being left in the care of some 

 boys on the east side of the river. 



When we arrived at the place and got a look 

 at the horse we found him as sound as a dollar. 

 Every trace of the condition which had troubled 

 him had disappeared. Besides, there was not 

 another animal on the place in need of veteri- 

 nary services; the superintendent tried hard to 

 give us something to do, but he could not find a 

 mouth to fix. So, back to town we went. 



As the ranch owner deposited us in front of 

 our hotel he remarked to mv brother that we 

 might present our bill any time we cared to do 

 so. After a consultation with me my brother 

 decided that, as the customary fee for such trips 

 was at the rate of a dollar per mile, forty dollars 

 would be reasonable; this was an allowance of 

 five dollars for the use of the rancher's car. 



The next day we presented the bill; but we 

 didn't get the money. The fellow made "such a 

 holler" that we felt like we had committed a mur- 

 der; we reallv did feel that way anyhow. Fin- 

 ally, we made a satisfactory adjustment by 

 cutting the bill in two, drawing twenty dollars 

 from him. This was even more than the trip was 

 worth, and I feel like a robber to this day on that 

 score. It was really nothing more than a pleas- 

 ure trip for my brother and me, and we must have 

 been hard-hearted scoundrels in those days to 

 make a charge of this kind. 



Strange to say, the fellow remained friendly 

 towards us even after this hold-up game. He 

 must have been a big-hearted fellow, truly. 



