And the colt he set his heart upon came near winning; he was third among the eighteen starters, and to the last Jordan insisted that he would have won if he had been well ridden.

“He orter won,” Jordan said.  “The trouble war, his jockey lacks two things; he don’t understand hoss character, ’nd he lacks pluck.  He never interested ther colt in him, never rubbed his nose and whispered inter his ear thet his heart would be broke if ther colt didn’t win; so ther colt only ran ter please hisself ‘nd never thought o’ pleasin’ his rider.  Then, from the fust, ther rider believed he wouldn’t be nearer nor third, ’nd ter do anything a man’s got ter believe he ken make it.  Menny a grand hoss’s repertation has ben ruined by ther fool man as has hed him in charge, and this war ther case ter-day.”

Then he was absorbed in thought for a moment, then went on again as though he had not ceased:  “It wer ther same with men.  Ez often ez ever ther best men don’t win ther prize; meny er blood man hez been distanced by er mustang.”

The race over, they all had dinner together, and with beautiful tact the ladies kept Jordan talking most of the time, and enjoyed his quaint sayings exceedingly.

He had been three months from the United States; had made one trip to Scotland, one to Wales, one to Paris, and his impressions of the different points and the people he had seen were most vivid and unique.

His talk ran a little in this vein:  “Yo’ see, up in ther Highlands, I looked fur the lakes and mountains that yo’ read to us about, Jim.  There is some fine lakes, but mountains! sho, we can beat ’em in America, all holler.  And ez to broad rivers, why, ther Mississippi cud take um all in, and wouldn’t know she had a reinforcement; while pour ’um into ther Colorado gorge and they’d be spray afore they reached ther bottom.  I looked for ther pituresk Highland heroes in ther tartans and with ther bag-pipes; but they tho’t, I reckon, that I war James Fitz, and wur all ambushed.  But I did see some pretty girls thar, ’an some powerful fine black cattle.  They war fine—­good for twelve hundred pounds neat.

“The blamd’st thing I seen war in Wales.  I didn’t see that, but hearn.  That war the language.  It’s a jor-breaker, if you har me.  I don’t see how the children up thar learn it so blam’d young.

“Paris is a grand place, a genuine daisy; but I believe it is wickeder’n Santa Fe wuz when the rush war to New Mexico.”

Grace explained to Jordan that they were going down to Sussex to visit some relatives of Rose, and begged him to go along, and bespoke for him a hearty welcome.

“I’m greatly obleeged, Miss,” said Jordan, “but I must beg yo’ ter ’scuse me.  I must see my hoss home.  I’ve been ridin’ him and teachin’ him a few things, like startin’ and stoppin’, for a month.  He war wild when I tuk him fust, but since he and I got ’quainted, we agree zactly, and I told ther men as own him he should be home ter night, and I must take him.  I wouldn’t send him by the are-apparent hisself.  Besides, my society accomplishments war neglected some’at when I war young, and I would rather break y’r heart, Miss, by declinin’ ter go, than hev it broke by my arkerdness ’mong y’r friends.”