“Connemara, is it? His legs is too short an’ mine is too long. They’d drag on the ground, so they would.”
Carlota ceased to argue the matter. Her attention and that of the others had been called to Carlos who, upon the broncho’s flight, had not wasted breath upon anybody but had set off in instant pursuit. “As swift as an arrow.” He had been trained by an Indian and could run like one. As he sped over it, his moccasined feet scarcely touched the ground, and his lithe body seemed poised as lightly as a bird’s in its flight. As he ran his sister cried exultantly:
“See Carlos! Oh! see Carlos! He’ll catch him! He will—he will!”
She clapped her hands, lustily. Her eyes shone and her cheeks flushed. It was impossible to look at her and not share her enthusiasm.
“Oh! I haven’t seen him run like that since the last Easter fiesta. Then there were such races! But he won them nearly all. My father says there can be no muscles better trained than my brother’s, if he cares to exerter—exercise—them. See! See! He has his riata.[11] He will throw it. He gains—he gains!”
He might have succeeded in any case but this particular broncho was less swift than vicious. Also, he was burdened by a lot of useless trappings, which irritated and hindered him, and this was in Carlos’s favor.
The whole cavalcade had stopped when Dennis rode up to join it, but Mr. Burnham now directed Jack to go forward.
“Keep to the road, son, in the way the runaway took. I meant to go straight north, toward that first range, but this affair alters our course for the present. Dennis, if you’re tired, climb in here with us; or ride one of the team, as you choose.”
“Sure, ’tis neither ridin’ nor drivin’ I’ll be doin’ the now. Hold! I declare that’s the smartest cleverest one in the world! See! See the speed of him! He’s winnin’—he’s winnin’, the little gossoon!”
The Irishman was again radiant. A contest of any sort was “victuals an’ drink” to him. He made Carlota remount Connemara, and marched along beside her, “as stiff as he was stout,” yet growing more and more excited.