"I'll take my horse, please," returned Matt.
"Your horse? Which horse is that?"
"The runaway you just caught."
"I haven't any runaway," returned the blacksmith boldly.
"What?" cried the boy in amazement. "Why, of course you have. He is tied to the post in the yard."
"No runaway here."
"I mean the brown and white horse."
"That horse was just left here to be shod."
For the moment Matt was too dumfounded to speak.
"To be shod?" he said at last. "Who left him here?"
"A colored man. I don't know his name."
"But he is my horse, and he doesn't need shoeing."
"I don't know anything about that," returned the blacksmith darkly. "He was left here and that's all I know about it. You'll have to hunt up the colored man, and fix it up with him if you want the horse."
