“That’s nothing,” cried Asa, a stocky youth of fourteen, mounted on a fine rangy cow pony. “Watch old Kicker do it.” He took his broncho back a few yards and at racing speed cleared the stream with ease.
“That’s the way we do it, eh?” he shouted back at the others.
“Aw, pshaw! Who couldn’t do that?” cried Paul scornfully.
“She can’t! She’s afraid!” jeered Asa, pointing to Peg, who, sitting quietly on the fat and placid Tubby, was looking gloomily upon the swift-flowing water.
“Come on Peg,” called Asa, “if old Tubby can’t jump she kin float acrost.”
“Of course she can jump it if she wants to,” said Paul, who had taken in the whole situation. “But Peg needn’t do it if she doesn’t want to.” As he spoke he circled round on the pinto and once more cleared the stream.
“She daren’t. She’s afraid.” Asa’s laugh made Peg wince.
“I’m not afraid to jump, but I don’t think Tubby wants to try,” she said to Paul. Asa shouted.
“I came acrost as easy as anything,” said Adelina sweetly. “An’ I kin do it again.”
“O’ course you did. An’ yeh kin do it again any ole time yeh want to,” said her brother.