The Content of Quiet Days 87 



soothing conversation the kicker had submitted like a lamb to 

 all preliminary operations and was even rubbing his head against 

 the painter's shoulder as he prepared to mount. At this point, 

 Fred, who from the verandah, placidly puffing at a piratical 

 looking and evil-smelling briar that he affected, had been watching 

 the proceedings with apparent unconcern, interposed: 



"Say, hold on there, you've got der wrong horse." 



" Is that so?" 



"Yes, py golly, that is so, und he might throw you off. If 

 you wants to ride him — I guess you can — all right — but I don'd 

 want to be responsible." 



"He's been gentle enough with me so far." 



"Yes, dot vas all right, but it's when you goes to get on him, 

 py golly, dot der hell breaks loose — you wants to get on him 

 quick — und then stay." 



The writer is not at all ashamed to admit that knowing his 

 own inexpertness as a horseman, he accepted the friendly warn- 

 ing, and desisted from pursuing his mistake in equine identity 

 to a conclusion that would have been suffered by a meanly prac- 

 tical joker in silence, for the enjoyment of another's discomfiture. 



A word of counsel given by William to the artist just before 

 turning in is worth noting for the benefit of other city dwellers 

 who may come into the mountain fastnesses. "Don't go into 

 the timber without a guide. Stay in the open and in sight of 

 a mark of camp. Make it a point always to have lots of matches 

 with you. If you do get lost, build a fire, and stick right by 

 it. Stay there if you have to stay there a week. The camp 

 will find you by the smoke." 



Friday the seconds 



The morning broke rainy and misty. At breakfast Fred 

 recited the details of a horse deal he tried to make with an Indian. 



"Der Indian, he has a pony dot looks good to me. "He 

 vas a mighty trim liddle pony und I liked him. I think I likes 

 to puy him. Der Indian wanted me to gif him seventy-five 

 dollars. I wouldn't gif him but sixty-five. Der Indian, he 

 shoost grunts und shakes his head. I has some good high-proof 

 whiskey with me, und I thinks may be it softens him up a liddle 



