Hoof Beats 



old black Ephram, the Master and others, watched 

 silently the little fellow, and occasionally nodded 

 to each other with knowing looks when he moved. 

 And in turn the little foal's mother watched them 

 all, raising her head now and then, to roll her eyes 

 in warning, if the "vet" stooped down to touch her 

 babe, or give it something to drink. Then Fuller- 

 ton, whom she had known for years, would speak 

 softly to her, tell her that all was well, and w^ith a 

 sigh she would put her head back in the straw. 



For quite a time it was thought the foal would 

 not live, and the "vet" moved about noiselessly, 

 while old Ephram tiptoed here and there as if in 

 the presence of death, but little by little as Ful- 

 lerton watched, the Marquis, as he was called 

 later on, began to improve. First he opened his 

 eyes in an odd w ondering sort of way and stretched 

 his legs a bit. Then the "vet" drew a long breath 

 and asked for the "makings", — he reckoned he'd 

 smoke a little, — which was a sure sign that his 

 work was successfully done, so that Fullerton 

 knew that the Marquis would live and he smiled 

 to himself with pleasure. 



"Do you think he will jump?" he asked, and the 

 "vet" looked at him with one eye-brow raised. 



"A Torchlight jump?" he inquired, with a 

 quizzical smile on his lips. "Can a duck swdni?" 

 and old Ephram chortled with glee for an hour. 

 116 



