And so he was grateful to those who, taking him on trust, had helped him more than they knew.
He had left the ridge, and was half way across the flat toward the corrals, when Little Billy, spurring old Sheep in desperate energy, rode wildly out to meet him.
As the lad approached, he greeted his big friend with shrill, boyish shouts, and Patches answered with a cowboy yell which did credit to his training, while Stranger, with a wild, preliminary bound into the air, proceeded, with many weird contortions, to give an exhibition which fairly expressed his sentiments.
Little Billy grinned with delight.

"Yip! Yip! Yee-e-e!" he shrilled, for Stranger's benefit.

And then, as the big horse continued his manifestations, the lad added the cowboy's encouraging admonition to the rider.

"Stay with him, Patches! Stay with him!" Patches laughingly stayed with him.

"What you aimin' to do, pardner"-- he asked good-naturedly, when Stranger at last consented to keep two feet on the ground at the same time--"tryin' to get me piled ?" "Shucks!" retorted the youngster admiringly.