Daddy Chip had lifted him down from Silver's back, and had squeezed him hard, and had called him a real, old cowpuncher.

The Kid got warm all inside him when he, thought of it.
When a turn in the narrow creek-bottom hid him completely from the ranch buildings and the hill trail, the Kid led Silver alongside a low bank, climbed into the saddle.

Then he made Silver lope all the way to the gate.
He had some trouble with that gate.

It was a barbed wire gate, such as bigger men than the Kid sometimes swear over.

It went down all right, but when he came to put it up again, that was another matter.