“I beg pardon?” asked Tad politely.
“Two hundred and fifty.”
“I think you misunderstood me, sir. I didn’t want to buy the whole herd.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, there you are. The buckskin will cost you two-fifty and so will the black. You can have any of the rest for two hundred and they’re cheap hosses at that.”
“Lead them out.”
“Then you’ll take them at that?”
“I haven’t said anything about taking them, yet. I said lead them out. I want to look them over.”
The owner smiled, but nodded to his hostler to rope and show the animals to the young men. Tad examined a dozen head, out of which he got three ponies, motioning to the hostler to tether them to one side where he could look them over again.