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246 with his legs broken, drive me against the sleepers and crash through.

We went on to the bridge like a rattle of musketry and thundered across. Horses, resembling women, as I have heard it said, are sometimes diverted from their purpose by the removal of every jot of opposition. With the reins on his neck, El Mahdi stopped at the top of the hill and I climbed down to the ground. My legs felt weak and I held on to the stirrup leather.

Jud dismounted, seized my bit, and ran his hand over El Mahdi's face. "I can't make head nor tail of that runnin'," he said. "He ain't scared nor he ain't mad."

"You could n't tell with him," I answered.

"There never was a scared horse," responded Jud, "that was n't nervous, an' there never was a mad one that was n't hot. But this feller feels like a suckin' calf. It must have been devilment, an' he ought to be whaled."

"It would n't do any good," said I; "he 'd only fight you and try to kill you."

"He 's a dam' curious whelp," said Jud.