FOUNDER OF HIS RACE 39 



lars you owe me, though twenty-five dollars is a large 

 sum, and I am a poor man. Shall we call it settled?" 



For a moment True thought his old master would 

 surely have one of his spells of faintness, but when he 

 finally spoke his voice was brave and steady. 



"The pony," he said, gently, '\vill be ready for you in 

 the morning." He rested his arm across True's neck, 

 while the stranger looked away for a moment. ''This 

 little horse," Silas continued, after a pause, having re- 

 covered himself, "has been to me what the 'steed of the 

 desert' is to his Arab master. When I part with him 

 I give you the best friendship I ever had ; the best work 

 of three years, spent in training and developing the in- 

 telligence of this remarkable horse. And, mark you, he 

 will live to bear out the confidence I have in him. I 

 have ever treated him as a human being; I have romped 

 with him, played with him, talked to him as I might have 

 talked to a child — if Providence had blessed my wife 

 and me with such a treasure — but I have ever insisted 

 upon obedience and respect, as a father should insist upon 

 these qualities from a child." 



"As I insist upon in mine," acquiesced Master Mor- 

 gan, as Silas hesitated a moment, feeling he was per- 

 haps saying too much. 



"There is but one thing more I would add," went on 

 Silas, feeling a friendly sympathy from Master Morgan. 

 "Be good to him and he will be faithful to you, teach 

 him to love you and his willing service will be to you and 

 yours until the end. He does not know what falter 

 means, and if you- are wise you will never let him find 

 out by asking him to do impossible things. Ask of 

 him only that which is within his power and he will 

 never fail you." 



Kind-hearted Master Morgan grasped Whitman's 

 hand. "I shall not forget," he said, deeply touched. 



