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shame！ Poor old fellow； to get fooled that way！〃 〃It is some
foolish；〃 said Brent Palmer； 〃but he ain't any worse off than a cow…pony
that hikes out twenty mile and then twenty back。〃
〃No； I suppose not；〃 admitted Estrella。 〃And we got to have
water； you know；〃 added Senor Johnson。 Brent rode up the sorrel
bareback。 The pretty animal； gentle as a kitten； nevertheless planted his
forefeet strongly and snorted at Estrella。 〃I reckon he ain't used to the
sight of a woman；〃 proffered the Senor； disappointed。 〃He'll get used to
you。 Go up to him soft…like and rub him between the eyes。〃'
Estrella approached； but the pony jerked back his head with every
symptom of distrust。 She forgot the sugar she had intended to offer him。
〃He's a perfect beauty；〃 she said at last； 〃but； my！ I'd never dare ride him。
I'm awful scairt of horses。〃 〃Oh； he'll come around all right；〃 assured
Brent easily。 〃I'll fix him。〃 〃Oh； Mr。 Brent；〃 she exclaimed； 〃don't
think I don't appreciate what you've done。 I'm sure he's really just as
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gentle as he can be。 It's only that I'm foolish。〃 〃I'll fix him；〃 repeated
Brent。
The two men conducted her here and there； showing her the various
institutions of the place。 A man bent near the shed nailing a shoe to a
horse's hoof。
〃So you even have a blacksmith！〃 said Estrella。 Her guides laughed
amusedly。
〃Tommy； come here！〃 called the Senor。
The horseshoer straightened up and approached。 He was a lithe；
curly…haired young boy； with a reckless； humorous eye and a smooth face；
now red from bending over。 〃Tommy； shake hands with Mrs。
Johnson；〃 said the Senor。 〃Mrs。 Johnson wants to know if you're the
blacksmith。〃 He exploded in laughter。 〃Oh； BUCK！〃 cried Estrella
again。 〃No； ma'am；〃 answered the boy directly； 〃I'm just tacking a
shoe on Danger； here。 We all does our own blacksmithing。〃 His
roving eye examined her countenance respectfully； but with admiration。
She caught the admiration and returned it； covertly but unmistakably；
pleased that her charms were appreciated。 They continued their
rounds。 The sun was very hot and the dust deep。 A woman would have
known that these things distressed Estrella。 She picked her way through
the debris； she dropped her head from the burning； she felt her delicate
garments moistening with perspiration； her hair dampening； the dust sifted
up through the air。 Over in the large corral a bronco buster； assisted by
two of the cowboys； was engaged in roping and throwing some wild
mustangs。 The sight was wonderful； but here the dust billowed in clouds。
〃I'm getting a little hot and tired；〃 she confessed at last。 〃I think I'll go to
the house。〃 But near the shed she stopped again； interested in spite of
herself by a bit of repairing Tommy had under way。 The tire of a wagon
wheel had been destroyed。 Tommy was mending it。 On the ground lay
a fresh cowhide。 From this Tommy was cutting a wide strip。 As she
watched lie measured the strip around the circumference of the wheel。
〃He isn't going to make a tire of that！〃 she exclaimed； incredulously。
〃Sure；〃 replied Senor Johnson。 〃Will it wear？〃 〃It'll wear for a
month or so； till we can get another from town。〃 Estrella advanced
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and felt curiously of the rawhide。 Tommy was fastening it to the wheel at
the ends only。 〃But how can it stay on that way？〃 she objected。 〃It'll
come right off as soon as you use it。〃 〃It'll harden on tight enough。〃
〃Why？〃 she persisted。 〃Does it shrink much when it dries？〃
Senor Johnson stared to see if she might be joking。 〃Does it shrink？〃
he repeated slowly。 〃There ain't nothing shrinks more； nor harder。 It'll
mighty nigh break that wood。〃 Estrella； incredulous； interested； she
could not have told why； stooped again to feel the soft； yielding hide。
She shook her head。 〃You're joking me because I'm a tenderfoot；〃
she accused brightly。 〃I know it dries hard； and I'll believe it shrinks a lot；
but to break woodthat's piling it on a little thick。〃 〃No； that's right；
ma'am；〃 broke in Brent Palmer。 〃It's awful strong。 It pulls like a horse
when the desert sun gets on it。 You wrap anything up in a piece of that
hide and see what happens。 Some time you take and wrap a piece around
a potato and put her out in the sun and see how it'll squeeze the water out
of her。〃 〃Is that so？〃 she appealed to Tommy。 〃I can't tell when they
are making fun of me。〃 〃Yes； ma'am； that's right；〃 he assured her。
Estrella passed a strip of the flexible hide playfully about her wrists。
〃And if I let that dry that way I'd be handcuffed hard and fast；〃 she
said。 〃It would cut you down to the bone；〃 supplemented Brent
Palmer。 She untwisted the strip； and stood looking at it； her eyes
wide。 〃II don't know why〃 she faltered。 〃The thought makes me a
little sick。 Why； isn't it queer？ Ugh！ it's like a snake！〃 She flung it
from her energetically and turned toward the ranch house。
CHAPTER SEVEN ESTRELLA
The honeymoon developed and the necessary adjustments took place。
The latter Senor Johnson had not foreseen； and yet； when the necessity for
them arose； he acknowledged them right and proper。 〃Course she don't
want to ride over to Circle I with us；〃 he informed his confidant； Jed
Parker。 〃It's a long ride； and she ain't used to riding yet。 Trouble is I've
been thinking of doing things with her just as if she was a man。 Women
are different。 They likes different things。〃 This second id