Page:Post--Dwellers in the hills.djvu/207

Rh "Great fathers!" exclaimed Jud, looking the horse over, "you ain't turned a hair on him. He ain't even blowed. It must be easy swimmin'."

"Don't fool yourself," said the hunchback. "You can't depend on that horse. He 'd let on it was easy if it busted a girt."

"It was easy for him," I said, rising to the defence.

"Ho, ho," said Ump, "I would n't think you 'd be throwin' bokays after that duckin'. I saw him. It was n't so killin' easy."

"It could n't be so bad," said Jud; "the horse ain't a bit winded."

"Laddiebuck," cried the hunchback, "you 'll see before you get through. That current's bad."

I turned around in the saddle. "Then you 're not going to put them in?" I said.

"Damn it!" said the hunchback, "we 've got to put 'em in."

"Don't you think we 'll get them over all right?" said I, bidding for the consolation of hope.

"God knows," answered the hunchback.