A SURPRISE
Next morning, having returned from the timber-slopes, Felipe, fresh and
radiant, appeared outside the corral in holiday attire. Part of this
attire was a pair of brand-new overalls. Indeed, the overalls were so
new that they crackled; and Felipe appeared quite conscious of their
newness, for he let down the bars with great care, and with even greater
care stepped into the inclosure. Then it was seen, since he was a
Mexican who ran true to form, there was a flaw in all this splendor. For
he had drawn on the new overalls over the older pair--worse, had drawn
them on over _two_ older pairs, as revealed at the bottoms, where
peered plaintively two shades of blue--lighter blue of the older pair,
very light blue of the oldest pair--the effect of exposure to desert
suns. So Felipe had on three pairs of overalls. Yet this was not all of
distinction. Around his brown throat was a bright red neckerchief, while
between the unbuttoned edges of his vest was an expanse of bright
green--the coloring of a tight-fitting sweater.
There was reason for all this. Felipe was going to town, and he was
taking the mare along with him, and the mare naturally would take her
colt; and because he had come to know the value of the colt, Felipe
wished to appear as prosperous in the eyes of the Americans in town as
he believed the owner of so fine a colt ought to appear.
Therefore, still careful of his overalls, he set about leisurely to
prepare the team for the journey. He crossed to the shed, hauled out the
harness, tossed it out into the inclosure. Promptly both horses stepped
into position. Also, the older mare, whether through relief or regret,
sounded a shrill nicker. This brought the colt to her side, where he
fell to licking her affectionately, showing his great love for her bony
frame. And when Felipe led the horses out of the corral he followed
close beside her, and when outside held close to her throughout the
hitching, and to the point even when Felipe clambered to the top of the
high load and caught up the reins and the whip. Then he stepped back,
wriggling his fuzzy little tail and blinking his big eyes curiously.
"Well, _potrillo_," began Felipe, grinning down upon the tiny
specimen of life, "we goin' now to town! But first you must be ready!
You ready? All right! We go now!" And he cracked the whip over the team.
They started forward, slowly at first, the wagon giving off many creaks
and groans, then fast and faster, until, well in the descent of the hard
canyon trail, the horses were jogging along quite briskly.
The colt showed the keenest interest and delight. For a time he trotted
beside the mare, ears cocked forward expectantly, eyes sweeping the
canyon alertly, hoofs lifting to ludicrous heights. Then, as the first
novelty wore off, and he became more certain of himself in these
swift-changing surroundings, he revealed a playfulness that tickled
Felipe. He would lag behind a little, race madly forward, sometimes run
far ahead of the team in his great joy. But he seemed best to like to
lag. He would come to a sudden stop and, motionless as a dog pointing a
bird, gaze out across the canyon a long time, like one trying to find
himself in a strange and wonderful world. Or, standing thus, he would
reveal curious interest in the rocks and stumps around him, and he would
stare at them fixedly, blinking slowly, a look of genuine wonderment in
his big, soft eyes. Then he would strain himself mightily to overtake
the wagon.
Once in a period of absorbed attention he lost sight of the outfit
completely. This was due not so much to his distance in the rear as to
the fact that the wagon, having struck a bend in the trail, had turned
from view. But he did not know that. Sounding a baby outcry of fear, he
scurried ahead at breakneck speed, frantic heels tossing up tiny spurts
of dust, head stretched forward--and thus soon caught up. After that he
remained close beside his mother until the wagon, rocking down the mouth
of the canyon, swung out upon the broad mesa. Here the outfit could be
seen for miles, and now he took to lagging behind again, and to frisking
far ahead, always returning at frequent intervals for the motherly
assurance that all was well.
As part of the Great Scheme, all this was good for him. In his brief
panic when out of sight of his mother he was taught how very necessary
she was to his existence. In his running back and forth, with now and
again breathless speeding, he developed the muscles of his body, to the
end that later he might well take up an independent fight for life. In
the curious interest he displayed in all subjects about him he lent
unknowing assistance to a spiritual development as necessary as physical
development. All this prepared him to meet men and measures as he was
destined to meet them--with gentleness, with battle,--with
affection--like for like--as he found it. It was all good for him, this
movement, this change of environment, this quick awakening of interest.
It shaped him in both body and spirit to the Great Purpose.
This interest seemed unbounded. Whenever a jack-rabbit shot across the
trail, or a covey of birds broke from the sand-hills, he would come to a
quick pause and blink curiously, seeming to understand and approve, and
to be grateful, as if all these things were done for him. Also, with
each halt Felipe made with _compadres_ along the trail, friends who
entered with him in loud badinage over the ownership of the colt--an
ownership all vigorously denied him--the colt himself would cock his
ears and fix his eyes, seemingly aware of his importance and pleased to
be the object of the cutting remarks. And thus the miles from mountain
to the outskirts of town were covered, miles pleasurable to him, every
inch revealing something of fresh interest, every mile finding him more
accustomed to the journey.
They reached a point on the outskirts where streets appeared, sharply
defined thoroughfares, interlacing one with the other. And as they
advanced vehicles began to turn in upon the trail, a nondescript
collection ranging from an Indian farm-wagon off the Navajo reservation
to the north to a stanhope belonging to some more affluent American in
the suburbs. With them came also many strange sounds--Mexican oaths,
mild Indian commands, light man-to-man greetings of the day. Also there
was much cracking of whips and nickering of horses along the line. And
the result of all this was that the colt revealed steadily increasing
nervousness, a condition enhanced by the fact that his mother, held
rigidly to her duties by Felipe, could bestow upon her offspring but
very little attention. But he held close to her, and thus moved into the
heart of town, when suddenly one by one the vehicles ahead came to a
dead stop. Felipe, perched high, saw that the foremost wagons had
reached the railroad crossing, and that there was a long freight-train
passing through.
Team after team came into the congestion and stopped. Cart and wagon and
phaeton closed in around the colt. There was much maneuvering for space.
The colt's nervousness increased, and became positive fear. He darted
wild eyes about him. He was completely hedged in. On his right loomed a
large horse; behind him stood a drowsing team; on his left was a
dirt-cart; while immediately in front, such was his position now, stood
his mother. But, though gripped in fear, he remained perfectly still
until the locomotive, puffing and wheezing along at the rear of the
train, having reached the crossing, sounded a piercing shriek. This was
more than he could stand. Without a sound he dodged and whirled. He
plunged to the rear and rammed into the drowsing team; darted to the
right and into the teeth of the single horse; whirled madly to the left,
only to carom off the hub of a wheel. But with all this defeat he did
not stop. He set up a wild series of whirling plunges, and, completely
crazed now, darted under the single horse, under a Mexican wagon, under
a team of horses, and forth into a little clearing. Here he came to a
stop, trembling in every part, gazing about in wildest terror.
Following its shrill blast, the engine puffed across the crossing, the
gates slowly lifted, and the foremost vehicles began to move. Soon the
whole line was churning up clouds of dust and rattling across the
railroad tracks. Felipe was of this company, cracking his whip and
yelling lustily, enjoying the congestion and this unexpected opportunity
to be seen by so many American eyes at once in his gorgeous raiment. In
the town proper, and carefully avoiding the more rapidly moving
vehicles, he turned off the avenue into a narrow side street, and pulled
up at a water-trough. As he dropped the reins and prepared to descend, a
friend of his--and he had many--hailed him from the sidewalk. Hastily
clambering down, he seized the man's arm in forceful greeting, and
indicated with a jerk of his head a near-by saloon.
"We go gettin' soomt'ing," he invited. "I have munch good luck to tell
you."
Inside the establishment Felipe became loquacious and boasting. He now
was a man of comfortable wealth, he gravely informed his friend--a
wizened individual with piercing eyes. Besides winning a bet of fifteen
dollars in money, he explained, he also held a note against Franke
Gamboa for fifty dollars more on his property. But that was not all.
Aside from the note and the cash in hand, he was the owner of a colt now
of great value--_si_--worth at least ten dollars--which, added to
the other, made him, as anybody could see, worthy of recognition. With
this he placed his empty glass down on the bar and swung over into
English.
"You haf hear about thot?" he asked, drawing the back of his hand across
his mouth. Then, as the other shook his head negatively, "Well, I haf
new one--_potrillo_--nice li'l' horse--_si_!" He cleared his
throat and frowned at the listening bartender. "He's comin' couple days
before, oop on thee mesa." He picked up the glass, noted that it was
empty, placed it down again. "I'm sellin' thot _potrillo_ quick,"
he went on--"bet you' life! I feed heem couple weeks more mebbe--feed
heem beer and soom cheese!" He laughed raucously at the alleged
witticism. "Thot's thee preencipal t'ing," he declared, soberly. "You
must feed a horse." He said this not as one recommending that a horse be
well fed, but as one advising that a horse be given something to eat
occasionally. "_Si!_ Thot's thee preencipal t'ing! Then he's makin'
a fast goer--bet you' life! I haf give heem--" He suddenly interrupted
himself and laid firm hold upon the man's arm. "You coom wit' me!" he
invited, and began to drag the other toward the swing-doors. "You coom
look at thot _potrillo_!"
They went outside. On the curb, Felipe gazed about him, first with a
look of pride, then with an expression of blank dismay. He stepped down
off the curb, roused the drowsing mare with a vigorous clap, again
looked about him worriedly. After a long moment he left the team,
walking out into the middle of the street, and strained his eyes in both
directions. Then he returned and, heedless of his new overalls, got down
upon his knees, sweeping bleared eyes under the wagon. And finally, with
a last despairing gaze in every direction, he sat down upon the curb and
buried his face in his arms.
For the colt was gone!