Honorable
Patches had not only acquired a name and a profession, but in acquiring
them he had gained something of much greater worth to himself. And so he
was grateful to those who, taking him on trust, had helped him more than
they knew.
He had left the ridge, and was half way across the flat toward the
corrals, when Little Billy, spurring old Sheep in desperate energy, rode
wildly out to meet him.
As the lad approached, he greeted his big friend with shrill, boyish
shouts, and Patches answered with a cowboy yell which did credit to his
training, while Stranger, with a wild, preliminary bound into the air,
proceeded, with many weird contortions, to give an exhibition which
fairly expressed his sentiments.
Little Billy grinned with delight. "Yip! Yip! Yee-e-e!" he shrilled, for
Stranger's benefit. And then, as the big horse continued his
manifestations, the lad added the cowboy's encouraging admonition to the
rider. "Stay with him, Patches! Stay with him!"
Patches laughingly stayed with him. "What you aimin' to do, pardner"--he
asked good-naturedly, when Stranger at last consented to keep two feet
on the ground at the same time--"tryin' to get me piled?"
"Shucks!" retorted the youngster admiringly.
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