“For—taking a horse. Just a horse.”
“Wh-e-ew!” said Dennis and said no more. He had lived in that region long enough to know that horse stealing is the unforgivable crime, against white man or red; and, indeed, this made the affair a most serious one.
Carlota was frightened by his manner and quickly demanded:
“Why do you say ‘Whew!’ in that tone of voice, Mr. Dennis Fogarty? It isn’t at all a nice word and it isn’t nice in you to use it.”
“Sure, I’m uneasy, Miss Carlota. A horse is a horse an’ there’s no denyin’ that same.”
“HE OFTEN CAUGHT A WILD HORSE”
“Dennis, that fall has made you silly.”
“Very like that’s the truth you be speakin’. But, for why did he go steal a horse?”
“He never! How can a body ‘steal’ what belongs to nobody else? At home he often caught a wild horse out of a herd and broke it to ride. He’s very—very expertatious that way, Dennis. My Miguel was terr’ble proud of him.”