Neighbors with claws and hoofs, and their kin; for boys and girls
James Johonnot
Paperback
(RareBooksClub.com, March 6, 2012)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1886 Excerpt: ...was nothing in blood and brains; for Kaweah was a prince beside their mustangs, and I ought to be worth two villains. 15. For the first twenty minutes the road was hard and smooth and level. After that gentle, shallow undulations began, and at last, at brief intervals, were sharp ditches eight or nine feet wide. I reined Kaweah in and brought him up sharply on their bottoms, giving him the bit to spring up on the other side; but he quickly taught me better, and, gathering, took them easily without my feeling it in his stride. 16. The hot sun had arisen. I saw with anxiety that the tremendous speed began to tell painfully on Kaweah. Foam tinged with blood fell from his mouth, and sweat rolled in streams from his whole body, and now and then he drew a deep-heaving breath. I leaned down and felt of the cinch to see if it had slipped forward; but as I had saddled him with great care it kept its true place, so I had only to fear the greasers behind or a new relay ahead. I was conscious of plenty of reserved speed in Kaweah, whose powerful run was already distancing their fatigued mustangs. As we bounded down a roll of the plain, a clond of dust sprang from a ravine directly in front of me, and two black objects lifted themselves in the sand. I drew my pistol, cocked it, whirled Kaweah to the left, plunging by and clearing by about six feet. A thrill of relief came as I saw the long white horns of Spanish cattle gleam above the dust. 17. Unconsciously I restrained Kaweah too much, and in a moment the Mexicans were crowding down upon me at a fearful rate. On they came, the crash of their spurs and the clatter of their horses distinctly heard; and as I had so often compared the beats of chronometers, I unconsciously noted that while Kaweah's, although painful, yet ...