Page:Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains.djvu/609

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BLACK BESS.
477

"All right," he said, "about one o'clock come to the stable, for I have made a bet of fifty dollars with a man from the country, that you could make her follow you from the stable to Wells, Fargo & Co. 's express office and back to the f stable and not touch her."

Wells, Fargo & Co. 's express office was a distance of eight blocks from the stable, and on my return I found quite a crowd there waiting to see the performance. I threw the saddle on the mare, put the bridle on her just as though I was going to ride, took my whip in my hand, and started down the sidewalk and the mare walked down the street. Montgomery street was always full of teams at this time of the day, and also the sidewalk

I started down the sidewalk and the mare walked down the street.