Chapter 73

           Aherdofahundredhorses—orthreetimesthenumber—pasturinguponaprairie,althoughaspectacleofthegrandestkindfurnishedbytheanimalkingdom,isnotonethatwouldstrikeaTexanfrontiersmanaseitherstrange,orcurious.Hewouldthinkitstrangertoseeasinglehorseinthesamesituation.

           Theformerwouldsimplybefollowedbythereflection:"Adroveofmustangs."Thelatterconductstoadifferenttrainofthought,inwhichthereisanambiguity.Thesolitarysteedmightbeoneoftwothings:eitheranexiledstallion,kickedoutofhisowncavallada,oraroadsterstrayedfromsomeencampmentoftravellers.

           Thepractisedeyeoftheprairie-manwouldsoondecidewhich.

           Ifthehorsebrowsedwithabitinhismouth,andasaddleonhisshoulders,therewouldbenoambiguity—onlytheconjecture,astohowhehadescapedfromhisrider.

           Iftheriderwereuponhisback,andthehorsestillbrowsing,therewouldbenoroomforconjecture—onlythereflection,thattheformermustbealazythick-headedfellow,nottoalightandlethisanimalgrazeinamorecommodiousfashion.

           If,however,therider,insteadofbeingsuspectedofhavingathickhead,wasseentohavenoheadatall,thenwouldtherebecueforathousandconjectures,notoneofwhichmightcomewithinathousandmilesofthetruth.

           Suchahorse;andjustsucharider,wereseenupontheprairiesofSouth-WesternTexasintheyearofourLord1850something.

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