Laughed. "'I've give Betty Blackleg,' he said. 'I've got tired of him.'" Betty's disappointment showed in her eyes; she had suspected that Calumet had had another reason. She had hoped-- "I reckon, though, that that wasn't his real reason," continued Dade; "he wasn't showin' all of his hand there." "What makes you think that?" asked Betty, trying not to blush. "Well," said Dade, "I was walkin' round the stable a while ago, just nosin' around without any purpose, an' walkin' slow. When I got to the corner, not makin' any noise, I saw Calumet standin' in front of the stable door, talkin'. There was nobody around him--nothin' but Blackleg, an' so I reckon he was talkin' to Blackleg. Sure enough he was. He puts his head up against Blackleg's head, an' he said, soft an' low, kinda: "'Blackleg,' he said; 'I've give you away. I hated like poison to do it, but I reckon Betty'll look a heap better on you than she does on that skate she rode today. Damn that black devil!' he said, 'I wouldn't have took the job of breakin' him for any other woman in the world.' "I come away then," concluded Dade; "for somehow I didn't want him to know there was anybody around to hear him." Betty got up quickly and went out on the porch. She stood there, looking out into the darkness for a long, long time, and presently Dade grew tired of waiting for her and went to his room. CHAPTER XIX A TRAGEDY IN THE TIMBER GROVE The black was undoubtedly broken. His subsequent actions proved that. He did not become docile by any means, but he was tractable, which is to say that he did as he was bidden with a minimum of urging; he was intelligent, divining, and learned quickly. Also, he respected his
