then Jabez sez: "Go into the house, Barbara, an' we'll both think it
over, an' as soon as we get time we'll settle it."

"All right," sez Barbie, an' she turns around an' marches to the
house, her little head held like a colonel's. Just before she
reached the house she turned an' calls: "You'll get the pinto for
me, won't you, Happy?" I sort o' half nodded my head, an' she went
on into the house.

"Did you ever see such grit?" sez Cast Steel, "an' her only six.
Kids oughtn't to act so grown up at six, had they, Happy?"

"I reckon 'at kids are pretty much like colts an' puppies an' other
young things: give 'em dolls to play with an' they'll play like
children, but start 'em out on cards an' ponies, an' range 'em off
with nothin' but grown folks, an' they're bound to have ways like
grown folks'."

Jabez fidgeted around a while, an' then he sez, "Are you goin' to
try to catch the pinto?

"I am goin' to catch it," sez I, rollin' a cigarette.

He kind o' nervoused around a few minutes longer an' then he sez,
"What did you mean a while ago?"

"Jest whatever I said," sez I. "I don't know what you're a-referrin'
to, but if I said it, that's what I meant."

"When I asked you to rope the pinto you told me to git one o' my own